Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) was 115.6 per 1,000 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
115.6 per 1,000 live births
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
1st
of 197 countries
All-time high
406.8 per 1,000 live births
in 1968
All-time low
115.6 per 1,000 live births
in 2024
Years of data
61
1964–2024
Mortality rate, under-5 in Nigeria, 1964–2024
Source: UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in per 1,000 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mortality rate, under-5 in Nigeria is 115.6 per 1,000 live births, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 61 years on record.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mortality rate, under-5 in Nigeria peaked at 406.8 per 1,000 live births in 1968 and was at its lowest, 115.6 per 1,000 live births, in 2024.
That places Nigeria 1st out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 61 years of available data.
Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | per 1,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 325.7 per 1,000 live births | — |
| 1965 | 318.8 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 1966 | 312.1 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 305.4 per 1,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 406.8 per 1,000 live births | +33.2% |
| 1969 | 397.2 per 1,000 live births | -2.4% |
| 1970 | 387.4 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 1971 | 276.3 per 1,000 live births | -28.7% |
| 1972 | 268 per 1,000 live births | -3.0% |
| 1973 | 259.8 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 1974 | 251.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 1975 | 243.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 1976 | 235.8 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 1977 | 228.8 per 1,000 live births | -3.0% |
| 1978 | 222.6 per 1,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 1979 | 217.1 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 1980 | 212.9 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 1981 | 209.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 1982 | 207.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 1983 | 206.7 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1984 | 206.6 per 1,000 live births | -0.0% |
| 1985 | 206.9 per 1,000 live births | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 207.5 per 1,000 live births | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 208 per 1,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 208.2 per 1,000 live births | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 208 per 1,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 207.6 per 1,000 live births | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 206.7 per 1,000 live births | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 205.7 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 204.6 per 1,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 203.1 per 1,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 201 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 198.1 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 194.3 per 1,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 189.4 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 1999 | 183.6 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 2000 | 177.3 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 170.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2002 | 163.9 per 1,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 157.4 per 1,000 live births | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 151.4 per 1,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 145.8 per 1,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 2006 | 140.9 per 1,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 2007 | 136.5 per 1,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 2008 | 132.5 per 1,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 2009 | 129.2 per 1,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 126.3 per 1,000 live births | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 123.8 per 1,000 live births | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 121.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 119.9 per 1,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 118.7 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 117.8 per 1,000 live births | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 117.4 per 1,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 117.2 per 1,000 live births | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 117.2 per 1,000 live births | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 117.4 per 1,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 117.4 per 1,000 live births | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 117.6 per 1,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 117.5 per 1,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 116.8 per 1,000 live births | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 115.6 per 1,000 live births | -1.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 115.6 per 1,000 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 36.9 per 1,000 live births, 3.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 115.6 per 1,000 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 48.9 per 1,000 live births, 2.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) 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 | +33.2% | 305.4 per 1,000 live births | 406.8 per 1,000 live births |
| 1971 | -28.7% | 387.4 per 1,000 live births | 276.3 per 1,000 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 344.33 per 1,000 live births | 305.4 per 1,000 live births | 406.8 per 1,000 live births | 6 |
| 1970s | 259.06 per 1,000 live births | 217.1 per 1,000 live births | 387.4 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 208.22 per 1,000 live births | 206.6 per 1,000 live births | 212.9 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 199.41 per 1,000 live births | 183.6 per 1,000 live births | 207.6 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 150.54 per 1,000 live births | 129.2 per 1,000 live births | 177.3 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 119.73 per 1,000 live births | 117.2 per 1,000 live births | 126.3 per 1,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 116.98 per 1,000 live births | 115.6 per 1,000 live births | 117.6 per 1,000 live births | 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 mortality rate, under-5 in Nigeria?
- Mortality rate, under-5 in Nigeria was 115.6 per 1,000 live births in 2024, according to UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest mortality rate, under-5 recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 406.8 per 1,000 live births in 1968.
- What is the lowest mortality rate, under-5 recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 115.6 per 1,000 live births in 2024.
- How does Nigeria rank for mortality rate, under-5?
- Nigeria ranks 1st out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
- Is mortality rate, under-5 rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.