Fertility rate vs. child mortality in Nigeria
Nigeria: Fertility rate vs. child mortality was 4.48 live births per woman in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
4.48 live births per woman
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
16th
of 236 countries
All-time high
6.92 live births per woman
in 1978
All-time low
4.48 live births per woman
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Fertility rate vs. child mortality in Nigeria, 1950–2023
Source: UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in live births per woman.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 4.48 live births per woman for fertility rate vs. child mortality in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 21.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, fertility rate vs. child mortality in Nigeria peaked at 6.92 live births per woman in 1978 and was at its lowest, 4.48 live births per woman, in 2023.
That places Nigeria 16th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Fertility rate vs. child mortality in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | live births per woman | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 6.42 live births per woman | — |
| 1951 | 6.42 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1952 | 6.39 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1953 | 6.4 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1954 | 6.4 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 6.4 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1956 | 6.41 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1957 | 6.4 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1958 | 6.39 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1959 | 6.38 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1960 | 6.36 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1961 | 6.35 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 1962 | 6.36 live births per woman | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 6.35 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1964 | 6.36 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 6.37 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 1966 | 6.39 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 6.4 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 6.42 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1969 | 6.44 live births per woman | +0.3% |
| 1970 | 6.47 live births per woman | +0.4% |
| 1971 | 6.53 live births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 6.58 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 1973 | 6.63 live births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1974 | 6.7 live births per woman | +1.1% |
| 1975 | 6.77 live births per woman | +1.0% |
| 1976 | 6.81 live births per woman | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 6.86 live births per woman | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 6.92 live births per woman | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 6.89 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 6.85 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1981 | 6.82 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1982 | 6.8 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 6.78 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 1984 | 6.7 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1985 | 6.62 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1986 | 6.56 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 6.5 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 1988 | 6.5 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 6.49 live births per woman | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 6.46 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 6.43 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 6.39 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 6.35 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 6.32 live births per woman | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 6.27 live births per woman | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 6.22 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 6.14 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 6.07 live births per woman | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 6.08 live births per woman | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 6.12 live births per woman | +0.7% |
| 2001 | 6.13 live births per woman | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 6.12 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 6.1 live births per woman | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 6.09 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 6.06 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 6.05 live births per woman | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 6.03 live births per woman | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 6.02 live births per woman | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 5.99 live births per woman | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 5.95 live births per woman | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 5.89 live births per woman | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 5.8 live births per woman | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 5.69 live births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 5.62 live births per woman | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 5.5 live births per woman | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 5.34 live births per woman | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 5.18 live births per woman | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 5.02 live births per woman | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 4.86 live births per woman | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 4.7 live births per woman | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 4.64 live births per woman | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 4.55 live births per woman | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 4.48 live births per woman | -1.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 4.48 live births per woman is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.15 live births per woman, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 4.48 live births per woman is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4 live births per woman, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.4 live births per woman | 6.38 live births per woman | 6.42 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1960s | 6.38 live births per woman | 6.35 live births per woman | 6.44 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.72 live births per woman | 6.47 live births per woman | 6.92 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.66 live births per woman | 6.49 live births per woman | 6.85 live births per woman | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.27 live births per woman | 6.07 live births per woman | 6.46 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.07 live births per woman | 5.99 live births per woman | 6.13 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.49 live births per woman | 4.86 live births per woman | 5.95 live births per woman | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.59 live births per woman | 4.48 live births per woman | 4.7 live births per woman | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 13 Tanzania 4.61 live births per woman compare
- 14 Yemen 4.59 live births per woman compare
- 15 Benin 4.56 live births per woman compare
- 17 Sudan 4.32 live births per woman compare
- 18 Cameroon 4.32 live births per woman compare
- 19 Cote d'Ivoire 4.28 live births per woman compare
- 19 Uganda 4.28 live births per woman 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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,301 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 257,921 deaths (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is fertility rate vs. child mortality in Nigeria?
- Fertility rate vs. child mortality in Nigeria was 4.48 live births per woman in 2023, according to UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest fertility rate vs. child mortality recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 6.92 live births per woman in 1978.
- What is the lowest fertility rate vs. child mortality recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.48 live births per woman in 2023.
- How does Nigeria rank for fertility rate vs. child mortality?
- Nigeria ranks 16th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is fertility rate vs. child mortality rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Fertility rate vs. child mortality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total fertility rate: the average number of children a woman would have if she experienced the year's age-specific birth rates throughout her childbearing years.