Life Expectancy at Birth in Nigeria
Nigeria: Life Expectancy at Birth was 54.63 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
54.63
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
216th
of 216 countries
All-time high
54.63
in 2024
All-time low
37.21
in 1960
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Life Expectancy at Birth in Nigeria, 1960–2024
Source: International Monetary Fund.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth in Nigeria is 54.63, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 65 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth in Nigeria peaked at 54.63 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 37.21, in 1960.
Nigeria ranks 216th of 216 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Life Expectancy at Birth in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 37.21 | — |
| 1961 | 37.43 | +0.6% |
| 1962 | 37.61 | +0.5% |
| 1963 | 37.81 | +0.5% |
| 1964 | 37.98 | +0.5% |
| 1965 | 38.22 | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 38.35 | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 37.5 | -2.2% |
| 1968 | 38.64 | +3.1% |
| 1969 | 38.95 | +0.8% |
| 1970 | 40.01 | +2.7% |
| 1971 | 40.61 | +1.5% |
| 1972 | 41.27 | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 41.83 | +1.4% |
| 1974 | 42.49 | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 43.05 | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 44.19 | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 44.85 | +1.5% |
| 1978 | 45.35 | +1.1% |
| 1979 | 45.74 | +0.9% |
| 1980 | 45.96 | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 46.31 | +0.8% |
| 1982 | 46.44 | +0.3% |
| 1983 | 46.44 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 46.34 | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 46.19 | -0.3% |
| 1986 | 45.95 | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 45.89 | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 45.83 | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 45.83 | -0.0% |
| 1990 | 45.73 | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 45.48 | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 45.59 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 45.78 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 45.75 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 45.87 | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 45.83 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 45.96 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 46.15 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 46.61 | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 47.14 | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 47.55 | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 48.02 | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 48.62 | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 49.15 | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 49.54 | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 49.88 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 50.38 | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 50.75 | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 51.08 | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 51.31 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 51.49 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 51.69 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 51.83 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 51.94 | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 51.94 | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 52.19 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 52.4 | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 52.67 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 53.01 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 53.07 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 53.45 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 54.08 | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 54.46 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 54.63 | +0.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 54.63 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 67.85, 81% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 54.63 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.26, 85% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 37.97 | 37.21 | 38.95 | 10 |
| 1970s | 42.94 | 40.01 | 45.74 | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.12 | 45.83 | 46.44 | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.88 | 45.48 | 46.61 | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.21 | 47.14 | 51.08 | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.05 | 51.31 | 53.01 | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.94 | 53.07 | 54.63 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 213 South Sudan 57.74 compare
- 214 Central African Republic 57.67 compare
- 215 Chad 55.24 compare
More gender data for Nigeria
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 99,803 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6887 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 162,578 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 162,578 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.75 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 3.55 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 3.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 3.45 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 3.54 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 3.38 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth in Nigeria?
- Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria was 54.63 in 2024, according to International Monetary Fund.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 54.63 in 2024.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.21 in 1960.
- How does Nigeria rank for life expectancy at birth?
- Nigeria ranks 216th out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is life expectancy at birth rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from International Monetary Fund, published as part of Life Expectancy at Birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Gender-disaggregated data on health outcomes.