Deaths in armed conflicts in Nigeria

Nigeria: Deaths in armed conflicts was 4,594 deaths in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
4,594 deaths
Change on year
up 34.9%
World rank
9th
of 192 countries
All-time high
12,554 deaths
in 2014
All-time low
0 deaths
in 1989
Years of data
37
1989–2025

Deaths in armed conflicts in Nigeria, 1989–2025

05.0k10.0k15.0k1989200720251989: 0 deaths1990: 80 deaths1991: 1.6k deaths1992: 3.2k deaths1993: 1.2k deaths1994: 142 deaths1995: 0 deaths1996: 80 deaths1997: 562 deaths1998: 404 deaths1999: 3.8k deaths2000: 5.9k deaths2001: 4.6k deaths2002: 883 deaths2003: 516 deaths2004: 2.4k deaths2005: 162 deaths2006: 337 deaths2007: 100 deaths2008: 383 deaths2009: 906 deaths2010: 1.5k deaths2011: 2.8k deaths2012: 2.4k deaths2013: 4.1k deaths2014: 12.6k deaths2015: 11.0k deaths2016: 4.3k deaths2017: 4.3k deaths2018: 4.1k deaths2019: 3.3k deaths2020: 4.1k deaths2021: 4.7k deaths2022: 4.0k deaths2023: 5.2k deaths2024: 3.4k deaths2025: 4.6k deaths

Source: Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 4,594 deaths for deaths in armed conflicts in 2025.

The figure is up 34.9% on the previous year and down 58.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, deaths in armed conflicts in Nigeria peaked at 12,554 deaths in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0 deaths, in 1989.

That places Nigeria 9th out of 192 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0 deaths 0 deaths 0 deaths 1
1990s 1,107 deaths 0 deaths 3,788 deaths 10
2000s 1,616 deaths 100 deaths 5,851 deaths 10
2010s 5,031 deaths 1,516 deaths 12,554 deaths 10
2020s 4,340 deaths 3,405 deaths 5,250 deaths 6

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 6 Mexico 8,016 deaths compare
  2. 7 Burkina Faso 6,360 deaths compare
  3. 8 Pakistan 4,897 deaths compare
  4. 10 Somalia 4,517 deaths compare
  5. 11 Syria 3,748 deaths compare
  6. 12 Russia 3,577 deaths compare

See the full ranking of 196 places →

More health data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is deaths in armed conflicts in Nigeria?
Deaths in armed conflicts in Nigeria was 4,594 deaths in 2025, according to Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest deaths in armed conflicts recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 12,554 deaths in 2014.
What is the lowest deaths in armed conflicts recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 0 deaths in 1989.
How does Nigeria rank for deaths in armed conflicts?
Nigeria ranks 9th out of 192 countries with data for 2025.
Is deaths in armed conflicts rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is down 58.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Deaths in armed conflicts. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Deaths in armed conflicts
Unit
deaths
Source
Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
196 places, 7,252 data points, 1989–2025
Last refreshed

The high estimate of the number of deaths of combatants and civilians due to fighting in interstate, intrastate, extrasystemic, non-state conflicts, and one-sided violence that were ongoing that year.