Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): Q4 in Nigeria

Nigeria: Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): Q4 was 12.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
12.7%
Change on year
up 4.1%
World rank
27th
of 40 countries
All-time high
22.6%
in 2003
All-time low
8.5%
in 2011
Years of data
7
1990–2018

Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): Q4 in Nigeria, 1990–2018

05101520251990200420181990: 21.32003: 22.62008: 9.62011: 8.52013: 11.42017: 12.22018: 12.7

Source: Household Surveys (DHS, MICS).

Analysis

The most recent figure for prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): q4 in Nigeria is 12.7%, measured in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.1% on the previous year and up 32.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): q4 in Nigeria peaked at 22.6% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2011.

That places Nigeria 27th out of 40 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): Q4 in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): Q4 in Nigeria, 1990 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1990 21.3%
2003 22.6% +6.1%
2008 9.6% -57.5%
2011 8.5% -11.5%
2013 11.4% +34.1%
2017 12.2% +7.0%
2018 12.7% +4.1%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

  • Nigeria's 12.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15.7%, 81% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
  • Nigeria's 12.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.4%, 77% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 21.3% 21.3% 21.3% 1
2000s 16.1% 9.6% 22.6% 2
2010s 11.2% 8.5% 12.7% 4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 24 Zimbabwe 14.7% compare
  2. 25 Colombia 13.4% compare
  3. 26 Benin 13.0% compare
  4. 28 Madagascar 12.6% compare
  5. 29 Kyrgyzstan 11.7% compare
  6. 29 Peru 11.7% compare

See the full ranking of 40 places →

More health data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): q4 in Nigeria?
Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): q4 in Nigeria was 12.7% in 2018, according to Household Surveys (DHS, MICS).
What is the highest prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): q4 recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 22.6% in 2003.
What is the lowest prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): q4 recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2011.
How does Nigeria rank for prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): q4?
Nigeria ranks 27th out of 40 countries with data for 2018.
Is prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): q4 rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Household Surveys (DHS, MICS), published as part of Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): Q4. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): Q4 in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on Household Surveys (DHS, MICS). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-diarrhea-percent-of-children-under-5-q4/nigeria/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-diarrhea-percent-of-children-under-5-q4/nigeria/">Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): Q4 in Nigeria</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of diarrhea (% of children under 5): Q4
Source
Household Surveys (DHS, MICS)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
40 places, 248 data points, 1990–2021
Last refreshed

Prevalence of diarrhea: Percentage of children under age five years who had diarrhea in the two weeks preceding the survey.