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

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in Niger was 67.4. Between 1969 and 2023, the figure dropped by 82.1, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

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.

Niger NE: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 50.900 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 52.300 Ratio for 2015. Niger NE: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 127.350 Ratio from Dec 1967 (Median) to 2016, with 50 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 135.900 Ratio in 1987 and a record low of 50.900 Ratio in 2016. Niger NE: Mortality Rate: Infant: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Niger – Table NE.World Bank: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 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.

In 2023, the infant mortality rate in deaths per 1,000 live births in Nigeria amounted to 60.1. Between 1964 and 2023, the figure dropped by 113.5, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Historical dataset showing Niger infant mortality rate by year from 1950 to 2025.

In 2021, the main causes of death among children aged under five in Nigeria were neonatal disorders. More specifically, close to 32 percent of all deaths were caused by neonatal disorders. Among the main cases of infant mortality in Nigeria, there were malaria, lower respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases.

Niger NE: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 44.000 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 47.000 Ratio for 2015. Niger NE: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 57.100 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 124.600 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 44.000 Ratio in 2017. Niger NE: Mortality Rate: Infant: Female: per 1000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Niger – Table NE.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Infant mortality rate, female is the number of female infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 female 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.

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: 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.

67.4 (deaths per thousand live births) in 2023. Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

Yearly (annual) dataset of the Nigeria Infant Mortality Rate, including historical data, latest releases, and long-term trends from 1964-12-31 to 2023-12-31. Available for free download in CSV format.

Nigeria: Infant deaths per 1000 live births: The latest value from 2022 is 69 deaths per 1000 live births, a decline from 71 deaths per 1000 live births in 2021. In comparison, the world average is 19 deaths per 1000 live births, based on data from 187 countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from 1964 to 2022 is 119 deaths per 1000 live births. The minimum value, 69 deaths per 1000 live births, was reached in 2022 while the maximum of 194 deaths per 1000 live births was recorded in 1964.

Actual value and historical data chart for Niger Mortality Rate Infant Per 1 000 Live Births

Actual value and historical data chart for Nigeria Mortality Rate Infant Per 1 000 Live Births

Niger NE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data was reported at 88.000 Ratio in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 97.100 Ratio for 2015. Niger NE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: Male: per 1000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 127.500 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2017, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 328.900 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 88.000 Ratio in 2017. Niger NE: Mortality Rate: Under-5: 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 Niger – Table NE.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Under-five mortality rate, male is the probability per 1,000 that a newborn male baby will die before reaching age five, if subject to male 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.

Infant mortality rate of Nigeria fell by 2.44% from 61.6 deaths per thousand live births in 2022 to 60.1 deaths per thousand live births in 2023. Since the 0.83% decline in 2013, infant mortality rate plummeted by 15.83% in 2023. Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.

This statistic shows the 20 countries* with the highest infant mortality rate in 2024. An estimated 101.3 infants per 1,000 live births died in the first year of life in Afghanistan in 2024. Infant and child mortality Infant mortality usually refers to the death of children younger than one year. Child mortality, which is often used synonymously with infant mortality, is the death of children younger than five. Among the main causes are pneumonia, diarrhea – which causes dehydration – and infections in newborns, with malnutrition also posing a severe problem. As can be seen above, most countries with a high infant mortality rate are developing countries or emerging countries, most of which are located in Africa. Good health care and hygiene are crucial in reducing child mortality; among the countries with the lowest infant mortality rate are exclusively developed countries, whose inhabitants usually have access to clean water and comprehensive health care. Access to vaccinations, antibiotics and a balanced nutrition also help reducing child mortality in these regions. In some countries, infants are killed if they turn out to be of a certain gender. India, for example, is known as a country where a lot of girls are aborted or killed right after birth, as they are considered to be too expensive for poorer families, who traditionally have to pay a costly dowry on the girl’s wedding day. Interestingly, the global mortality rate among boys is higher than that for girls, which could be due to the fact that more male infants are actually born than female ones. Other theories include a stronger immune system in girls, or more premature births among boys.

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.

Child mortality rate of Niger slipped by 1.96% from 117.1 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2022 to 114.8 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2023. Since the 1.38% downward trend in 2013, child mortality rate dropped by 10.94% 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.