Nigeria: Explore the key data

explore

How do we know if a country is progressing? If life is getting better or worse? By exploring the core aspects of everyday life: How long do people live? Can they afford a decent lifestyle? Can they access medical care?

Explore the data and trends on life expectancy and overall health, poverty, and food security. Find out the country’s sources of finance and expenditures, including from donors. The data is pulled from official and credible sources and updates regularly, so what you see will always be the latest.

Key numbers

  • On 31 January 2024, inflation in Nigeria was 29.9%.
  • The IMF estimates a GDP growth of 2.9% in 2023.
  • 30.9% of the population of Nigeria lives in extreme poverty, according to the latest World Bank data (2018).
  • On 22 February, an estimated 100,436,853 people experienced insufficient food consumption (according to WFP HungerMapLive)
  • As of 05 November, 37.2% of the population of Nigeria is vaccinated against COVID-19 (according to OurWorldInData).
  • Nigeria will pay an estimated US$2,902.7 millionin external debt service this year – about 5.2% of government spending.

The basics: How long are people living in Nigeria? Are they healthy?

Life expectancy at birth

LIfe expectancy has been steadily increasing for decades, although the COVID-19 pandemic halted progress in many parts of the world.

At birth, someone in Nigeria can expect to live to 52.7 years. This is compared to 60.2 years in Sub-Saharan Africa and 71.3 years worldwide.

Leading causes of death in Nigeria

Six of the top 10 causes of death in low-income countries are preventable infectious diseases.

These deaths are concentrated in the world’s poorest countries. Only one of these conditions (lower respiratory infections) appears in the top 10 for higher-income countries.

These deaths are completely preventable and treatable with better access to health services and health technologies like vaccines and medicine.

Among people living with HIV, the percent on antiretroviral therapy

Access to HIV/AIDS treatment has scaled up steadily since 2002 at a rate of about 2 million people per year.

In turn, AIDS-related deaths have dropped by over half since their peak in 2004.

As long as people living with HIV are on treatment, they can live long and healthy lives.

Malaria deaths

Over 600,000 people died from malaria in 2020. This chart shows the changes in deaths in the last two decades. Nigeria is shown in purple.

The global malaria burden is disproportionately concentrated in Africa. In 2020, 95% of malaria cases and 96% of malaria deaths occurred in Africa.

Children under age 5 accounted for about 80% of all malaria deaths in Africa.

Childhood immunisation (Diphtheria tetanus toxoid and pertussis)

Coverage of the diphtheria tetanus toxoid and pertussis (DTP3) vaccine is considered a proxy for routine childhood immunisation. A child who receives all three doses before turning 1 likely has regular access to health services.

Globally, coverage of DTP3 has improved dramatically over the past 20 years.

But for the first time in three decades, global vaccination coverage among children is declining.

Financial security?

Poverty rates

Extreme poverty, defined as living on less than $2.15/day (in 2017 PPPs), has been declining in recent decades. But the pandemic may have pushed up to 97 million more people into extreme poverty, reversing the downward trend.

To put it in perspective, a healthy diet costs more than $3 a day in Africa.

Use the buttons to choose between the share of the population and the total population.

Inflation rates

This chart shows inflation rates over time.

Inflation stretches budgets even further, reducing purchasing power and making it harder for families to house, feed, and educate themselves.

Inflation refers to the year-on-year percentage change in the price of a standard basket of goods and services as calculated from the national Consumer Price Index.

What is their food security?

Insufficient food consumption

This chart shows the proportion of people with insufficient food.

People with insufficient food consumption refers to those with poor or borderline food consumption. Data is available from WFP on a daily basis for most countries.

Food price inflation

This chart shows inflation in food prices over time.

Food inflation refers to the year-on-year percentage change in the price of a standard basket of food as calculated from the national Consumer Price Index.

What are the sources of financing in Nigeria?

Financing by source

This chart shows trends in government spending, foreign aid, remittances, and foreign investment. All data is presented in USD million in constant 2023 prices and exchange rates.

Other countries can be added to the view by typing or selecting them at the top of the chart.

How is the World Bank supporting Nigeria?

The World Bank provides essential financing for long-term development and infrastructure investments. In recent years, many African countries have turned to the bank for emergency financing, but it has faced criticism for being too conservative and slow.

Monthly disbursements show new USD disbursements in current dollars in a given month since 2017.

Cumulative disbursements cover the period since the World Bank’s COVID-19 support started in April 2020.

Other countries can be added to the view by typing or selecting them at the top of the chart. Use the drop down menu to change the indicator shown.

How is external debt affecting the economy?

Annual debt repayments

African external debt service payments have increased substantially in the past decade, in part due to higher interest payments on private loans.

This chart shows yearly external debt service owed to bilateral, multilateral, and private creditors. Debt service is interest plus principal payments on public and publicly guaranteed (PPG) debt, in USD million (current prices).

How much total debt is owed to whom?

Africa’s external debt stocks have grown significantly in the past decade.

This chart shows how much is owed to each creditor type and how it has changed over time. It is based on public and publicly guaranteed long-term external debt outstanding and disbursed in USD billion (current prices).