Infant mortality (Our World) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Infant mortality (Our World) was 6.98 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
6.98
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
2nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
21.79
in 1968
All-time low
6.8
in 2015
Years of data
61
1964–2024
Infant mortality in Nigeria, 1964–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, infant mortality in Nigeria stood at 6.98.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant mortality in Nigeria peaked at 21.79 in 1968 and was at its lowest, 6.8, in 2015.
Nigeria ranks 2nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Infant mortality (Our World) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 17.17 | — |
| 1965 | 16.76 | -2.4% |
| 1966 | 16.35 | -2.4% |
| 1967 | 15.95 | -2.4% |
| 1968 | 21.79 | +36.6% |
| 1969 | 21.23 | -2.6% |
| 1970 | 20.66 | -2.7% |
| 1971 | 14.25 | -31.0% |
| 1972 | 13.77 | -3.3% |
| 1973 | 13.29 | -3.5% |
| 1974 | 12.83 | -3.5% |
| 1975 | 12.36 | -3.6% |
| 1976 | 11.93 | -3.4% |
| 1977 | 11.54 | -3.3% |
| 1978 | 11.19 | -3.0% |
| 1979 | 10.89 | -2.7% |
| 1980 | 10.65 | -2.2% |
| 1981 | 10.47 | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 10.35 | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 10.29 | -0.6% |
| 1984 | 10.28 | -0.1% |
| 1985 | 10.3 | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 10.34 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 10.38 | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 10.42 | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 10.44 | +0.2% |
| 1990 | 10.47 | +0.2% |
| 1991 | 10.47 | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 10.47 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 10.47 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 10.46 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 10.42 | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 10.34 | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 10.21 | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 10.02 | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 9.77 | -2.5% |
| 2000 | 9.49 | -2.9% |
| 2001 | 9.18 | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 8.86 | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 8.56 | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 8.27 | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 8 | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 7.77 | -2.9% |
| 2007 | 7.56 | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 7.38 | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 7.23 | -2.0% |
| 2010 | 7.11 | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 7 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 6.91 | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 6.85 | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 6.81 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 6.8 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 6.81 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 6.83 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 6.87 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 6.91 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 6.95 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 6.99 | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 7.02 | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 7.01 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 6.98 | -0.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 6.98 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.87, 2.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 6.98 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.72, 1.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Infant mortality (Our World) in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | +36.6% | 15.95 | 21.79 |
| 1971 | -31.0% | 20.66 | 14.25 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 18.21 | 15.95 | 21.79 | 6 |
| 1970s | 13.27 | 10.89 | 20.66 | 10 |
| 1980s | 10.39 | 10.28 | 10.65 | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.31 | 9.77 | 10.47 | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.23 | 7.23 | 9.49 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.89 | 6.8 | 7.11 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.99 | 6.95 | 7.02 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
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 infant mortality in Nigeria?
- Infant mortality in Nigeria was 6.98 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest infant mortality recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 21.79 in 1968.
- What is the lowest infant mortality recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8 in 2015.
- How does Nigeria rank for infant mortality?
- Nigeria ranks 2nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant mortality rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Infant mortality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 61 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).