The death rate in Nigeria decreased by *** deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (***** percent) in 2023 in comparison to the previous year. As a result, the death rate in Nigeria saw its lowest number in 2023 with ***** deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. The crude death rate refers to the number of deaths in a given year, expressed per 1,000 population. When studied in combination with the crude birth rate, the rate of natural population increase can be determined.Find more statistics on other topics about Nigeria with key insights such as health expenditure as a share of gross domestic product, total life expectancy at birth, and infant mortality rate.

Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people) in Nigeria was reported at 11.74 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Death rate, crude - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Nigeria: Death rate, per 1000 people: The latest value from 2022 is 12.43 deaths per 1000 people, a decline from 13.08 deaths per 1000 people in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 8.37 deaths per 1000 people, based on data from 195 countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from 1960 to 2022 is 18.8 deaths per 1000 people. The minimum value, 12.43 deaths per 1000 people, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 26.24 deaths per 1000 people was recorded in 1960.

UNICEF's country profile for Nigeria, including under-five mortality rates, child health, education and sanitation data.

As of 2023, the mortality rate of infants aged under one-year-old in Nigeria was measured at 55.17. This means that there were about 55 deaths of children under the age of one year per 1,000 live births. Child mortality rates in Africa are very high. Among the countries with the highest infant mortality rate in the world, almost all of them are African countries. Similarly, maternal mortality rates are high. In 2017, Nigeria recorded 917 deaths of mothers per 100,000 live births.

Nigeria NG: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data was reported at 12.462 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 12.766 Ratio for 2015. Nigeria NG: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data is updated yearly, averaging 18.602 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 26.382 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 12.462 Ratio in 2016. Nigeria NG: Death Rate: Crude: per 1000 People data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Population and Urbanization Statistics. Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) Census reports and other statistical publications from national statistical offices, (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics, (4) United Nations Statistical Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years), (5) U.S. Census Bureau: International Database, and (6) Secretariat of the Pacific Community: Statistics and Demography Programme.; Weighted average;

Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000 live births) in Nigeria was reported at 105 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Mortality rate, under-5 (per 1,000) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Nigeria NG: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 104.300 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 108.000 Ratio for 2015. Nigeria NG: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 210.100 Ratio from Dec 1964 (Median) to 2016, with 53 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 327.900 Ratio in 1964 and a record low of 104.300 Ratio in 2016. Nigeria NG: Mortality Rate: Under-5: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year.; ; Estimates Developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Graph and download economic data for Infant Mortality Rate for Nigeria (SPDYNIMRTINNGA) from 1964 to 2023 about mortality, infant, Nigeria, and rate.

Nigeria NG: Crude Death Rate: per 1000 Persons data was reported at 5.700 NA in 2050. This records a decrease from the previous number of 5.800 NA for 2049. Nigeria NG: Crude Death Rate: per 1000 Persons data is updated yearly, averaging 16.250 NA from Jun 1953 (Median) to 2050, with 98 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21.500 NA in 1953 and a record low of 5.700 NA in 2050. Nigeria NG: Crude Death Rate: per 1000 Persons data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by US Census Bureau. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.US Census Bureau: Demographic Projection.

Nigeria NG: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 70.700 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 75.200 Ratio for 2015. Nigeria NG: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 88.400 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 135.700 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 70.700 Ratio in 2017. Nigeria NG: Mortality Rate: Infant: Male: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate, male is the number of male infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 male live births in a given year.; ; Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.; Weighted average; Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

The death rate in Nigeria decreased by 0.7 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants (-5.35 percent) in 2022 in comparison to the previous year. Therefore, the death rate in Nigeria saw its lowest number in that year with 12.43 deaths per 1,000 inhabitants. The crude death rate refers to the number of deaths in a given year, expressed per 1,000 population. When studied in combination with the crude birth rate, the rate of natural population increase can be determined.Find more statistics on other topics about Nigeria with key insights such as health expenditure as a share of gross domestic product, total life expectancy at birth, and infant mortality rate.

Historical chart and dataset showing Nigeria maternal mortality rate by year from 1985 to 2023.

Under-5 mortality rate of Nigeria slipped by 2.96% from 108.1 deaths per thousand live births in 2022 to 104.9 deaths per thousand live births in 2023. Since the 1.22% downward trend in 2013, under-5 mortality rate sank by 18.87% in 2023. Under-five mortality rate is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to current age-specific mortality rates.

Tuberculosis death rate (per 100,000 people) in Nigeria was reported at 28 % in 2023, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Tuberculosis death rate (per 100,000 people) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on July of 2025.

Death rate over the years

In 1955, the infant mortality rate in Nigeria was two hundred deaths per thousand live births, meaning that twenty percent of all newborns would not survive past their first birthday. Infant mortality would gradually decline in Nigeria over the next three decades, as mass vaccination campaigns and improvements in access to nutrition would lead to a sharp decline in the causes of infant and child mortality. This decline would largely level off at around 125 deaths per thousand live births beginning in the late 1980s, as a decline in oil revenues would lead to a scaling back of many government health programs, and the HIV/AIDS epidemic would spread rapidly throughout the country beginning in 1981 (as of 2019, Nigeria has the highest rate of mother-to-child HIV transmission worldwide). As HIV treatment would gradually improve, and the Nigerian economy would begin to recover in the 21st century, infant mortality would to decline once more in the 2000s. Despite this decline, in 2020, it is estimated that over six percent of all newborns do not make it to their first birthday, which is among the highest infant mortality rates in the world.

Nigeria NG: Mortality Rate: Adult: Female: per 1000 Female Adults data was reported at 333.034 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 337.660 Ratio for 2015. Nigeria NG: Mortality Rate: Adult: Female: per 1000 Female Adults data is updated yearly, averaging 374.231 Ratio from Dec 1960 (Median) to 2016, with 57 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 453.777 Ratio in 1960 and a record low of 333.034 Ratio in 2016. Nigeria NG: Mortality Rate: Adult: Female: per 1000 Female Adults data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank: Health Statistics. Adult mortality rate, female, is the probability of dying between the ages of 15 and 60--that is, the probability of a 15-year-old female dying before reaching age 60, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year between those ages.; ; (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2017 Revision. (2) University of California, Berkeley, and Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research. The Human Mortality Database.; Weighted average;

The main causes of death in Nigeria in 2021 were neonatal disorders and malaria. More specifically, nearly 14 percent and 13 percent of all deaths in the country were caused by neonatal disorders and malaria, respectively. Other common causes included lower respiratory infects and COVID-19.

Nigeria: The number of deaths per 1000 people, per year: The latest value from is deaths per 1000 people, unavailable from deaths per 1000 people in . In comparison, the world average is 0.00 deaths per 1000 people, based on data from countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from to is deaths per 1000 people. The minimum value, deaths per 1000 people, was reached in while the maximum of deaths per 1000 people was recorded in .