The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index in Nigeria
Nigeria: The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index was 47 in 2023. ▲ Rising
The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index in Nigeria, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index in Nigeria stood at 47. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
That represents a change of up 23.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index in Nigeria peaked at 47 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 24, in 2003.
That places Nigeria 170th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 30 | — |
| 2001 | 28 | -6.7% |
| 2002 | 25 | -10.7% |
| 2003 | 24 | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 27 | +12.5% |
| 2005 | 29 | +7.4% |
| 2006 | 30 | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 30 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 30 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 35 | +16.7% |
| 2010 | 39 | +11.4% |
| 2011 | 40 | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 39 | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 38 | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 41 | +7.9% |
| 2015 | 43 | +4.9% |
| 2016 | 44 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 42 | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 46 | +9.5% |
| 2019 | 47 | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 45 | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 47 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 47 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 47 | +0.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 47 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 56, 84% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 47 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 48, 98% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.8 | 24 | 35 | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.9 | 38 | 47 | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.5 | 45 | 47 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 170 Burkina Faso 47 compare
- 170 Djibouti 47 compare
- 170 Solomon Islands 47 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)
- 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 the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index in Nigeria?
- The universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index in Nigeria was 47 in 2023, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 47 in 2019.
- What is the lowest the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 24 in 2003.
- How does Nigeria rank for the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index?
- Nigeria ranks 170th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is the universal health coverage (uhc) service coverage index rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.7%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Service Coverage Index is measured on a scale from 0 (worst) to 100 (best) based on the average coverage of essential services including reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases and service capacity and access.