Neonatal mortality rate in Nigeria
Nigeria: Neonatal mortality rate was 3.9 deaths per 100 live births in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.9 deaths per 100 live births
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
2nd
of 199 countries
All-time high
7.11 deaths per 100 live births
in 1968
All-time low
3.76 deaths per 100 live births
in 2012
Years of data
58
1967–2024
Neonatal mortality rate in Nigeria, 1967–2024
Source: United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100 live births.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 3.9 deaths per 100 live births for neonatal mortality rate in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, neonatal mortality rate in Nigeria peaked at 7.11 deaths per 100 live births in 1968 and was at its lowest, 3.76 deaths per 100 live births, in 2012.
Nigeria ranks 2nd of 199 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 58 years of available data.
Neonatal mortality rate in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1967 | 7.04 deaths per 100 live births | — |
| 1968 | 7.11 deaths per 100 live births | +1.0% |
| 1969 | 6.99 deaths per 100 live births | -1.7% |
| 1970 | 6.86 deaths per 100 live births | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 6.55 deaths per 100 live births | -4.5% |
| 1972 | 6.41 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1973 | 6.26 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 6.12 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1975 | 6 deaths per 100 live births | -2.1% |
| 1976 | 5.86 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1977 | 5.73 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1978 | 5.59 deaths per 100 live births | -2.4% |
| 1979 | 5.47 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 1980 | 5.34 deaths per 100 live births | -2.3% |
| 1981 | 5.24 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 1982 | 5.14 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 5.07 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1984 | 5 deaths per 100 live births | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 4.96 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 4.93 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 4.93 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 4.92 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 4.94 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1990 | 4.95 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 4.96 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 4.97 deaths per 100 live births | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 4.98 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 4.98 deaths per 100 live births | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 4.97 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 4.94 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 4.9 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 4.83 deaths per 100 live births | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 4.73 deaths per 100 live births | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 4.61 deaths per 100 live births | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 4.48 deaths per 100 live births | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 4.34 deaths per 100 live births | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 4.21 deaths per 100 live births | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 4.09 deaths per 100 live births | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 4 deaths per 100 live births | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 3.93 deaths per 100 live births | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 3.88 deaths per 100 live births | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 3.84 deaths per 100 live births | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 3.81 deaths per 100 live births | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 3.79 deaths per 100 live births | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 3.77 deaths per 100 live births | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 3.76 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 3.77 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 3.78 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 3.8 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 3.82 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 3.85 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 3.87 deaths per 100 live births | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 3.9 deaths per 100 live births | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 3.92 deaths per 100 live births | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 3.93 deaths per 100 live births | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 3.93 deaths per 100 live births | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 3.92 deaths per 100 live births | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 3.9 deaths per 100 live births | -0.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 3.9 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.81 deaths per 100 live births, 2.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 3.9 deaths per 100 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.33 deaths per 100 live births, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7.05 deaths per 100 live births | 6.99 deaths per 100 live births | 7.11 deaths per 100 live births | 3 |
| 1970s | 6.08 deaths per 100 live births | 5.47 deaths per 100 live births | 6.86 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.05 deaths per 100 live births | 4.92 deaths per 100 live births | 5.34 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.92 deaths per 100 live births | 4.73 deaths per 100 live births | 4.98 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.12 deaths per 100 live births | 3.81 deaths per 100 live births | 4.61 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.81 deaths per 100 live births | 3.76 deaths per 100 live births | 3.9 deaths per 100 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.92 deaths per 100 live births | 3.9 deaths per 100 live births | 3.93 deaths per 100 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)
- 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 neonatal mortality rate in Nigeria?
- Neonatal mortality rate in Nigeria was 3.9 deaths per 100 live births in 2024, according to United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 7.11 deaths per 100 live births in 1968.
- What is the lowest neonatal mortality rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.76 deaths per 100 live births in 2012.
- How does Nigeria rank for neonatal mortality rate?
- Nigeria ranks 2nd out of 199 countries with data for 2024.
- Is neonatal mortality rate rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Neonatal mortality rate. 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, per 100 live births .