Preterm birth in Nigeria
Nigeria: Preterm birth was 774,061 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
774,061
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
3rd
of 102 countries
All-time high
774,061
in 2020
All-time low
672,601
in 2010
Years of data
11
2010–2020
Preterm birth in Nigeria, 2010–2020
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for preterm birth in Nigeria is 774,061, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, preterm birth in Nigeria peaked at 774,061 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 672,601, in 2010.
Nigeria ranks 3rd of 102 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Preterm birth in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 672,601 | — |
| 2011 | 686,637 | +2.1% |
| 2012 | 696,531 | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 704,319 | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 713,796 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 722,230 | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 732,648 | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 743,113 | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 753,285 | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 763,320 | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 774,061 | +1.4% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 774,061 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 50,699, 15.3× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 774,061 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 93,469, 8.3× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 718,848 | 672,601 | 763,320 | 10 |
| 2020s | 774,061 | 774,061 | 774,061 | 1 |
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 preterm birth in Nigeria?
- Preterm birth in Nigeria was 774,061 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest preterm birth recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 774,061 in 2020.
- What is the lowest preterm birth recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 672,601 in 2010.
- How does Nigeria rank for preterm birth?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 102 countries with data for 2020.
- Is preterm birth rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Preterm birth (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).