Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Nigeria
Nigeria: Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths was 295,006 deaths in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
295,006 deaths
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
2nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
295,006 deaths
in 2024
All-time low
178,740 deaths
in 1971
Years of data
57
1968–2024
Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Nigeria, 1968–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Nigeria is 295,006 deaths, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 57 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Nigeria peaked at 295,006 deaths in 2024 and was at its lowest, 178,740 deaths, in 1971.
Nigeria ranks 2nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 57 years of available data.
Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1968 | 178,997 deaths | — |
| 1969 | 180,201 deaths | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 181,317 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 178,740 deaths | -1.4% |
| 1972 | 179,765 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 181,052 deaths | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 183,387 deaths | +1.3% |
| 1975 | 186,001 deaths | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 187,003 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 188,814 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1978 | 190,614 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 190,633 deaths | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 190,116 deaths | -0.3% |
| 1981 | 190,462 deaths | +0.2% |
| 1982 | 191,420 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 193,424 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1984 | 192,013 deaths | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 193,077 deaths | +0.6% |
| 1986 | 194,790 deaths | +0.9% |
| 1987 | 197,811 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 202,377 deaths | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 208,756 deaths | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 213,734 deaths | +2.4% |
| 1991 | 219,121 deaths | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 224,886 deaths | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 230,552 deaths | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 235,958 deaths | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 242,224 deaths | +2.7% |
| 1996 | 246,113 deaths | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 248,499 deaths | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 249,684 deaths | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 252,490 deaths | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 255,337 deaths | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 255,093 deaths | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 253,614 deaths | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 251,925 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 250,787 deaths | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 251,407 deaths | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 252,717 deaths | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 254,688 deaths | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 258,694 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 261,876 deaths | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 265,521 deaths | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 269,728 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 272,389 deaths | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 275,552 deaths | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 279,929 deaths | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 281,973 deaths | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 281,986 deaths | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 282,641 deaths | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 283,238 deaths | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 283,004 deaths | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 282,628 deaths | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 287,722 deaths | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 291,114 deaths | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 294,425 deaths | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 295,006 deaths | +0.2% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 295,006 deaths is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5,153 deaths, 57.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 295,006 deaths is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13,437 deaths, 22.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 179,599 deaths | 178,997 deaths | 180,201 deaths | 2 |
| 1970s | 184,733 deaths | 178,740 deaths | 190,633 deaths | 10 |
| 1980s | 195,425 deaths | 190,116 deaths | 208,756 deaths | 10 |
| 1990s | 236,326 deaths | 213,734 deaths | 252,490 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 254,614 deaths | 250,787 deaths | 261,876 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 277,596 deaths | 265,521 deaths | 283,238 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 290,179 deaths | 282,628 deaths | 295,006 deaths | 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)
- 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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0729 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Nigeria?
- Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths in Nigeria was 295,006 deaths in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of neonatal, infant and child deaths recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 295,006 deaths in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of neonatal, infant and child deaths recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 178,740 deaths in 1971.
- How does Nigeria rank for number of neonatal, infant and child deaths?
- Nigeria ranks 2nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of neonatal, infant and child deaths rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of neonatal, infant and child deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths of children aged less than 28 days .