Nigeria Health Statistics

Nigeria is a pretty unhealthy country. Nigeria does better than average in the prevalence of overweight adults₁ and in its smoking rate₂. But that's it. Nigeria has problems. It does worse than average in its adolescent birth rate₃. It falls into the worst-performing 20 for its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₄, its alcohol consumption rate₅ (amongst the worst in Africa), its immunizations take-up₆ and in its fertility rate₇. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom when it comes to its average life expectancy₈. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Nigeria in 1990 was 46yrs, much lower than the global average of 64.6. It improved by +6.9yrs in the 30 years from then, but this was so much less of an improvement than the global average (of +7.9yrs) that by 2016-9 it had the lowest life expectancy in the world. Nigeria's peak fertility rate was 6.92 in 1978, but regions in the north are currently above that, at 7.4₉.

1. Nigeria's Health
2. Health
   1. Life Expectancy
   2. Alcohol Consumption
   3. Fertility Rate
   4. Smoking Rates
   5. Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance
   6. Overweight Adults
   7. Adult Obesity
3. Children's Health
   1. Adolescent Birth Rate
   2. Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
4. Links

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1. Nigeria's Health

#health

Compared to Africa (2025)10
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank10
1	Mauritius	71.9
2	Tunisia	75.6
3	Morocco	88.2
	...
46	Chad	138.8
47	Niger	139.4
48	Mali	142.7
49	Equatorial Guinea	142.9
50	Somalia	144.1
51	Ivory Coast	145.8
52	Nigeria	146.0
53	Angola	149.2
54	S. Sudan	149.6
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)10
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank10
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
205	Iraq	144.5
206	Nauru	145.1
207	Ivory Coast	145.8
208	Nigeria	146.0
209	Angola	149.2
210	S. Sudan	149.6
211	Niue	153.4
212	Marshall Islands	163.0
	World Avg	97.60
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₁₁. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue₁₁.

25 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₁₁, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₁₁.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

2. Health

2.1. Life Expectancy

#demographics #health #hong_kong #immigration #japan #life_expectancy #longevity #population

Life Expectancy Higher is better8
Pos.		2021 Years8
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
188	Ivory Coast	58.6
189	Swaziland	57.1
190	Somalia	55.3
191	S. Sudan	55.0
192	Central African Rep.	53.9
193	Lesotho	53.1
194	Nigeria	52.7
195	Chad	52.5
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195.

Nigeria is positioned 2nd-worst in the world, after Chad, regarding its average life expectancy.

Increasing longevity, and subsequent aging, is a long-term trend around the world₁₂. Global life expectancy has risen above the 70s, reaching 72, by 2016₁₃, as part of a global trend towards better health_13,14, and due to huge portions of the world being gradually lifted out of poverty. It also reflects overall improvements to cultural health, including diet, health services systems, attitudes to exercise and well-being, and also family structure and caring. For decades, Japan was well-known for having the highest average life expectancy₁₅, until the top spot was taken by Hong Kong. The regions with the best life expectancy are Europe (78.4), The Middle East (75.2) and Asia (73.2)₈ and the worst, by some way, is Africa (62.8)₈.

One effect of rising longevity is the 'demographics crisis'; where an increasing portion of the population is old and retired, putting pressure on services and taxes₁₆. The solution is for aging countries to import younger workers from elsewhere; over time, as birth rates stabilize, geriatric care improves the length of the working life, and population growth calms, this situation will stabilize.

For more, see:

• "Life Expectancy and Longevity" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Averages by decade for Nigeria (for the ranks, lower is better):

Life Expectancy	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Nigeria:	45.8	49.0	51.9
World Rank:	186th	⇣  189th	⇣  193rd
World Avg:	65.3	68.2	71.4

2.2. Alcohol Consumption

#alcohol #health #sociology

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better5
Pos.		2016 Per Capita5
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
182	Latvia	12.9
183=	Luxembourg	13.0
183=	Ireland	13.0
185	Nigeria	13.4
186=	Germany	13.4
187	Czechia	14.4
188	Lithuania	15.0
189	Moldova	15.2
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Nigeria is positioned 5th-worst in the world in terms of its alcohol consumption rate.

There is nothing wrong with drinking modest and sensible amounts of alcohol but fitness, physical health, mental health and long-term health all suffer as a result of medium- or heavy- drinking₁₇ and the health risks to the baby when pregnant mothers drink₁₈ are well-known. Aside from the effects on the individual, alcohol misuse impacts on entire economies₁₉ via increased health service costs, policing costs and lost days' work. Worldwide, alcohol misuse is "among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death" and is a "cause of more than 200 disease and injury conditions in individuals, most notably alcohol dependence, liver cirrhosis, cancers and injuries"₂₀. "In 2012... 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption"₂₁. Deaths from chronic alcohol misuse have been rising for decades, and so has violence, abuse, vandalism and crime all associated with alcohol over-use. The aggression and crime associated with alcohol in some Western countries infringes on the human rights of those who want nothing to do with such behaviour. Many of the social effects of alcohol are psychological and cultural; i.e., people don't have to behave criminally or destructively whilst drunk - it is a culturally learned behaviour. Experiments have shown that behaviour can be controlled: Those who do not wish to behave badly whilst drunk, will not do so.

For more, see:

• "Alcohol: The Social & Medical Effects and How to Combat Misuse" by Vexen Crabtree (2015).

2.3. Fertility Rate

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #overpopulation #population #yemen

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best7
Pos.		20227
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
198	Burkina Faso	4.67
199	Benin	4.90
200	Burundi	4.98
201	Nigeria	5.14
202	Angola	5.21
203	Mali	5.87
204	Central African Rep.	5.92
205	Congo, DR	6.11
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208.

Nigeria ranks 8th-worst in the world in terms of its fertility rate.

The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₂₂

For more, see:

• "The Population of the Earth" by Vexen Crabtree (2019).

Nigeria's fertility rate is unequal_23,9. In Lagos in the South, "women can expect to give birth to an average of 3.3 children during their lifetimes, which is what the world´s fertility rate was in 1990" yet in Katsina state in the north, the rate is over double that, at 7.4₉. Some of the factors are poverty, religion and education; the north being much poorer and mostly Muslim, and south being better-off and mostly Christian₂₄. Conservative religion in Nigeria views a large family as a blessing, encourages men to have multiple wives and discourages the use of contraception₂₃. It's not just religion, of course; in the West it was Christian communities that maintained very high fertility rates for a long time after the rest began to worry about overpopulation and sustainability. In terms of education, better education stabilizes and reduces the fertility rate towards sustainable values, but, in Nigeria public schools are controlled and funded by each state, giving the north a permanent advantage. The different in fertility rate is both a symptom, and a cause, of poverty, and this will impact on economic inequality in the country.

In terms of data, the HTF SAMDI takes account of average fertility whilst counting economic inequality in a separate data table. Most of these issues can be resolved through harmonizing the country socially, but, the religious divide has entrenched the two halves against each other. In the long-term, secularisation will help, but for now, Nigeria remains strongly religious. There may be difficult times ahead.

Averages by decade for Nigeria (for the ranks, lower is better):

Fertility Rate	1960s  Average	1970s  Average	1980s  Average	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Nigeria:	6.38	6.72	6.66	6.27	6.09	5.67
World Rank:	129th	⇣  164th	⇣  181st	⇣  190th	⇣  199th	⇣  203rd
World Avg:	5.35	4.78	4.22	3.57	3.03	2.73

2.4. Smoking Rates

#cancer #democracy #health #smoking

Smoking Rates Lower is better2
Pos.		20142
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
35	Zambia	165
36	Gambia	166
37	Paraguay	166
38	Nigeria	173
39	Guinea-Bissau	175
40	Central African Rep.	178
41	Cameroon	184
42	Guatemala	190
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

In terms of its smoking rate, Nigeria comes 38th in the world.

Cigarettes are the most lethal consumer product on the planet and is the biggest preventable course of disease in the world₂₅. A billion people smoke₂₆. The fight for public health means limiting and reducing the business of the tobacco industry and as the governments of most developed countries make headway, the tobacco industry has resisted with misinformation, public-relations campaigns and fake customer-concern lobby groups, trying to make the government think that the citizens do not support its actions. With £30 billion pounds (UKP) profit per year₂₅, the industry runs such massive and influential lobbies that most governments find it difficult to make any progress in curbing rates of smoking.

If you smoke, you are more likely to drink. If you smoke or drink, you are also more likely to do drugs. Smoking is statistically intertwined deeply with trash culture. Only 15% of men in the highest professional classes smoke, but 42% of unskilled workers do₂₇. Smoking is higher amongst those who are already in trouble: single mothers smoke at 55%, most homeless do and practically 100% of drug addicts do₂₇. Smoking during late pregnancy reduces the IQ of babies by an average of 6.2 points₂₈ and causes increased antisocial behaviour. Aside from the financial cost to taxpayers and the health costs to individuals, indirect negative economic effects result from increased rates of disease and sick days lost from work.

For more, see:

• "The Side Effects of Smoking. Which Countries Smoke Most?" by Vexen Crabtree (2014).

2.5. Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better4
Pos.		2017 Rank4
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
147	Jamaica	147
148	Togo	148
149	Tonga	149
150	Nigeria	150
151	St Lucia	151
152	Trinidad & Tobago	152
153	Mozambique	153
154	Cape Verde	154
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Nigeria ranks 14th-worst in the world in terms of its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance.

2.6. Overweight Adults

#genetics #health #obesity #physical_fitness #public_health #UK

Overweight Adults Lower is better1
Pos.		1976 %1
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
32=	Philippines	9.1
32=	Guinea	9.1
34	Congo, DR	9.2
35=	Nigeria	9.2
36	Gambia	9.3
37	Mauritania	9.7
38	Benin	9.8
39	Togo	10.0
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Nigeria is positioned 34th in the world with regard to the prevalence of overweight adults.

2.7. Adult Obesity

#genetics #health #obesity #physical_fitness #public_health

Adult Obesity Lower is better29
Pos.		2022 %29
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
37	Angola	10.5%
38	Ivory Coast	10.6%
39	Sri Lanka	10.6%
40	Nigeria	10.8%
41	Djibouti	10.9%
42	N. Korea	10.9%
43	France	10.9%
44	Kenya	11.0%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199.

Nigeria comes 40th in the world regarding obesity rate.

About one third of the global population is overweight or obese₃₀. It's more serious than simple being overweight and causes a range of systemic health conditions including the development of Type 2 diabetes_31,32, muscle and bone degradation including osteoarthritis₃₁, cardiovascular disease (i.e. heart disease)₃₁, substantial disability₃₁, cancers (endometrial, breast and colon)₃₁, the acceleration of the ageing process₃₃ and decreased life expectancy_31,33. Health systems have to routinely cope with resultant complications, and cultural changes are having to be made₃₄, impacting on transport, resources and workplaces, with measurable effects on national economies, diverting time and resources away from other issues. In 2000, it was the world's most costly epidemic₃₄, and has continued to get worse in every region of the world every decade since₃₅.

The causes are lifestyle and culture_36,31, not genetics_37,38. Causes are processed foods, low levels of physical exercise, over-indulgence, poor choices in food products and poor knowledge of nutrition. Health experts have warned that there is no medical solution: prevention is the only possible route to reduce the cost of obesity₃₉ but the situation is made much worse by well-funded advertising campaigns by food manufacturers selling cheap mass-produced food. Even many so-called "health foods" contain well over recommended limits of fat, salt and sugar₄₀ and a range of popular fad diets capitalize on miseducated consumers to buy into costly and nonsensical schemes that falsely promise quick results₄₁.

For more, see:

• " The Modern Obesity Epidemic" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Averages by decade for Nigeria (for the ranks, lower is better):

Adult Obesity	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Nigeria:	2.9%	5.6%	8.4%
World Rank:	46th	⇣  47th	47th
World Avg:	12.5%	16.7%	21.0%

3. Children's Health

3.1. Adolescent Birth Rate

#health #parenting #population

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better3
Pos.		2022 Per 10003
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
172	Zimbabwe	92.6
173	S. Sudan	97.4
174	Sierra Leone	97.9
175	Nigeria	99.6
176	Congo, (Brazzaville)	101.2
177	Ivory Coast	103.3
178	Uganda	105.7
179	Congo, DR	107.5
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195.

Nigeria ranks 21st-worst in the world when it comes to its adolescent birth rate.

Nigeria was amongst 49 countries in the 1990s who had an adolescent birth rate of over 100 (per 1000 girls aged 15-19); in the 2010s it was still amongst only 27 countries that still fell into the same grouping.

Averages by decade for Nigeria (for the ranks, lower is better):

Adolescent Birth Rate	1990s  Average	2000s  Average	2010s  Average
Nigeria:	135.8	129.0	116.2
World Rank:	171st	⇣  174th	⇣  176th
World Avg:	71.0	59.4	51.4

3.2. Infant Immunizations 2011-2015

#health #vaccines

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better6
Pos.		2015 Avg %6
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
187	Syria	62.4
188	Ukraine	55.2
189	Chad	52.5
190	Nigeria	50.0
191	Central African Rep.	49.4
192	Somalia	46.0
193	S. Sudan	45.7
194	Equatorial Guinea	36.8
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Nigeria is positioned 5th-worst in the world with regard to its immunizations take-up.