Prevalence of undernourishment in Nigeria
Nigeria: Prevalence of undernourishment was 19.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of undernourishment in Nigeria, 2001–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in % of population.
Analysis
In 2023, prevalence of undernourishment in Nigeria stood at 19.9%. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
The figure is up 6.4% on the previous year and up 74.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in Nigeria peaked at 19.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 2001.
That places Nigeria 27th out of 168 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 8.7% | — |
| 2002 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 8.8% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 9.1% | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 9.2% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 9.4% | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 9.6% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 9.9% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 10.4% | +5.1% |
| 2011 | 11.1% | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 11.7% | +5.4% |
| 2013 | 11.4% | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 11.1% | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 10.7% | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 10.8% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 11.5% | +6.5% |
| 2018 | 12.1% | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 14.3% | +18.2% |
| 2020 | 15.8% | +10.5% |
| 2021 | 17.6% | +11.4% |
| 2022 | 18.7% | +6.2% |
| 2023 | 19.9% | +6.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.1% | 8.7% | 9.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 11.5% | 10.4% | 14.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.0% | 15.8% | 19.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 24 Malawi 21.4% compare
- 25 Tanzania, United Republic of 20.2% compare
- 26 Solomon Islands 20.0% compare
- 28 Ethiopia 19.7% compare
- 28 Zimbabwe 19.7% compare
- 30 Timor-Leste 18.7% compare
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 prevalence of undernourishment in Nigeria?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in Nigeria was 19.9% in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.7% in 2001.
- How does Nigeria rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- Nigeria ranks 27th out of 168 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 74.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Prevalence of undernourishment (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Prevalence of undernourishment is the percentage of the population whose habitual food consumption is insufficient to provide the dietary energy levels that are required to maintain a normal active and healthy life. Data showing as 2.5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 2.5%.