Life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria
Nigeria: Life expectancy at birth, total was 54.63 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria, 1960–2024
Source: World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN). Measured in years.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 54.63 years for life expectancy at birth, total in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria peaked at 54.63 years in 2024 and was at its lowest, 37.21 years, in 1960.
That places Nigeria 215th out of 215 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 37.97 years | 37.21 years | 38.95 years | 10 |
| 1970s | 42.94 years | 40.01 years | 45.74 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.12 years | 45.83 years | 46.44 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.88 years | 45.48 years | 46.61 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.21 years | 47.14 years | 51.08 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.05 years | 51.31 years | 53.01 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.94 years | 53.07 years | 54.63 years | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 212 South Sudan 57.74 years compare
- 213 Central African Republic 57.67 years compare
- 214 Chad 55.24 years compare
More health data for Nigeria
- 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)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 726 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 726 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 2.03 million (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 1.96 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 2.13 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 2.06 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 2.23 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 2.15 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria was 54.63 years in 2024, according to World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN).
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 54.63 years in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.21 years in 1960.
- How does Nigeria rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Nigeria ranks 215th out of 215 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN), published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.