Female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Nigeria
Nigeria: Female and male life expectancy at birth in years was 54.18 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
54.18
Change on year
up 0.7%
World rank
235th
of 236 countries
All-time high
54.18
in 2023
All-time low
33.59
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Nigeria, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Nigeria is 54.18, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Nigeria peaked at 54.18 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 33.59, in 1950.
Nigeria ranks 235th of 236 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 74 years of available data.
Female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 33.59 | — |
| 1951 | 33.77 | +0.5% |
| 1952 | 33.96 | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 34.09 | +0.4% |
| 1954 | 34.29 | +0.6% |
| 1955 | 34.28 | -0.0% |
| 1956 | 34.45 | +0.5% |
| 1957 | 34.58 | +0.4% |
| 1958 | 34.78 | +0.6% |
| 1959 | 34.97 | +0.5% |
| 1960 | 35.16 | +0.6% |
| 1961 | 35.36 | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 35.58 | +0.6% |
| 1963 | 35.77 | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 35.93 | +0.4% |
| 1965 | 36.17 | +0.7% |
| 1966 | 36.35 | +0.5% |
| 1967 | 35.13 | -3.4% |
| 1968 | 36.4 | +3.6% |
| 1969 | 36.77 | +1.0% |
| 1970 | 38.38 | +4.4% |
| 1971 | 38.97 | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 39.53 | +1.4% |
| 1973 | 40.01 | +1.2% |
| 1974 | 40.59 | +1.5% |
| 1975 | 41.03 | +1.1% |
| 1976 | 42.73 | +4.1% |
| 1977 | 43.39 | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 43.84 | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 44.18 | +0.8% |
| 1980 | 44.34 | +0.4% |
| 1981 | 44.65 | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 44.74 | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 44.79 | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 44.7 | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 44.58 | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 44.46 | -0.3% |
| 1987 | 44.46 | -0.0% |
| 1988 | 44.41 | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 44.42 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 44.38 | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 44.05 | -0.7% |
| 1992 | 44.18 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 44.25 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 44.22 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 44.4 | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 44.45 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 44.71 | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 45.12 | +0.9% |
| 1999 | 45.69 | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 46.26 | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 46.87 | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 47.5 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 48.17 | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 48.78 | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 48.99 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 49.33 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 49.84 | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 50.29 | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 50.59 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 50.85 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 51.11 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 51.34 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 51.47 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 51.56 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 51.63 | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 51.94 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 52.15 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 52.41 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 52.77 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 52.71 | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 53.16 | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 53.78 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 54.18 | +0.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 54.18 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 65.33, 83% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 54.18 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 62.07, 87% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 34.28 | 33.59 | 34.97 | 10 |
| 1960s | 35.86 | 35.13 | 36.77 | 10 |
| 1970s | 41.27 | 38.38 | 44.18 | 10 |
| 1980s | 44.56 | 44.34 | 44.79 | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.54 | 44.05 | 45.69 | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.66 | 46.26 | 50.59 | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.72 | 50.85 | 52.77 | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.46 | 52.71 | 54.18 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 232 Central African Republic 55.26 compare
- 233 South Sudan 54.64 compare
- 234 Lesotho 54.62 compare
- 236 Chad 53.2 compare
More health data for Nigeria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8137 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 257,921 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 14 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0711 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0729 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Nigeria?
- Female and male life expectancy at birth in years in Nigeria was 54.18 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest female and male life expectancy at birth in years recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 54.18 in 2023.
- What is the lowest female and male life expectancy at birth in years recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.59 in 1950.
- How does Nigeria rank for female and male life expectancy at birth in years?
- Nigeria ranks 235th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is female and male life expectancy at birth in years rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Female and male life expectancy at birth in years. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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