Nigeria Health Statistics

Nigeria is amongst the unhealthiest places in the world, causing serious issues for most of its citizens. Nigeria does better than average for its smoking rate₁. But that's it. Nigeria has problems. It does worse than average in terms of its adolescent birth rate₂. It falls into the worst 20 in its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃, its alcohol consumption rate₄ (amongst the worst in Africa), its immunizations take-up₅ and in its fertility rate₆. And finally, it is second-from-the-bottom when it comes to its average life expectancy₇. The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% over the past 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 7.4₈.

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
3. Children's Health
   1. Adolescent Birth Rate
   2. Infant Immunizations 2011-2015
4. Links

---

1. Nigeria's Health

#health

Compared to Africa (2025)9
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank9
1	Tunisia	69.2
2	Mauritius	69.2
3	Seychelles	84.8
	...
46	Uganda	159.0
47	Chad	163.2
48	Somalia	163.7
49	Niger	164.3
50	Mali	165.1
51	Ivory Coast	166.4
52	Nigeria	166.5
53	Angola	170.3
54	S. Sudan	179.2
	Africa Avg	111.1
q=54.

Health (2025)9
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank9
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
205	Chad	163.2
206	Somalia	163.7
207	Niger	164.3
208	Mali	165.1
209	Ivory Coast	166.4
210	Nigeria	166.5
211	Angola	170.3
212	S. Sudan	179.2
	World Avg	96.7
q=212.

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 Man₁₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are S. Sudan, Angola and Nigeria₁₀.

21 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, its adolescent birth rate and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₁₀, whereas the worst are Africa, Micronesia and Melanesia₁₀.

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 better7
Pos.		2021 Years7
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 ranks 2nd-worst in the world, only Chad is worse, in terms of its average life expectancy.

Increasing longevity, and subsequent aging, is a long-term trend around the world₁₁. Global life expectancy has risen above the 70s, reaching 72, by 2016₁₂, as part of a global trend towards better health_12,13, 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 expectancy₁₄, 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)₇ and the worst, by some way, is Africa (62.8)₇.

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 taxes₁₅. 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 better4
Pos.		2016 Per Capita4
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.

With respect to its alcohol consumption rate, Nigeria ranks 5th-worst in the world.

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- drinking₁₆ and the health risks to the baby when pregnant mothers drink₁₇ are well-known. Aside from the effects on the individual, alcohol misuse impacts on entire economies₁₈ 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"₁₉. "In 2012... 5.9% of all global deaths, were attributable to alcohol consumption"₂₀. 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 best6
Pos.		20226
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 is positioned 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 8.86.₂₁

For more, see:

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

Nigeria's fertility rate is unequal_22,8. 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 7.4₈. Some of the factors are poverty, religion and education; the north being much poorer and mostly Muslim, and south being better-off and mostly Christian₂₃. Conservative religion in Nigeria views a large family as a blessing, encourages men to have multiple wives and discourages the use of contraception₂₂. 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 better1
Pos.		20141
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.

Nigeria ranks 38th in the world in terms of its smoking rate.

Cigarettes are the most lethal consumer product on the planet and is the biggest preventable course of disease in the world₂₄. A billion people smoke₂₅. 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 year₂₄, 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 do₂₆. Smoking is higher amongst those who are already in trouble: single mothers smoke at 55%, most homeless do and practically 100% of drug addicts do₂₆. Smoking during late pregnancy reduces the IQ of babies by an average of 6.2 points₂₇ 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 better3
Pos.		2017 Rank3
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.

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

2.6. Overweight Adults

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

Overweight Adults Lower is better28
Pos.		2016 %28
1	Vietnam	18.3
2	India	19.7
3	Bangladesh	20.0
	...
39=	Senegal	28.4
39=	Pakistan	28.4
41	Sudan	28.9
42=	Nigeria	28.9
43	Benin	29.5
44	Guinea-Bissau	29.9
45	S. Korea	30.3
46	Maldives	30.6
	Africa Avg	33.3
	World Avg	49.0
q=191.

Nigeria comes 41st in the world when it comes to the prevalence of overweight adults.

About one third of the global population is overweight or obese₂₉. Most Western countries are facing an obesity epidemic. Our cultures are having to change to compensate for widespread ill-health. It is costing our health systems a massive amount of money, and is having negative effects on national economies. The situation has persisted for a suitable length of time for our very perceptions to change; opinions on "normal weights" for people and "average sizes" for clothes has shot up₃₀. Over 2 in 3 adults in the UK are overweight₃₀ and this costs the NHS £5.1 billion per year₃₁ and "costs Britain's economy £47bn a year; more than war, terrorism or armed violence"₃₂. We are forgetting how to be healthy.

The causes are not genetic. Most people who say obesity "runs in their family" are wrong. The rate of increase in obesity is many, many times too fast to be accounted for by a change in inherited genes₃₃. Our culture and lifestyle choices are to blame. The causes of the modern obesity epidemic are processed foods, low levels of physical exercise, over-indulgence, poor choices in food products, poor knowledge of nutrition. Most of this is made much worse by well-funded advertising campaigns by food manufacturers selling cheaper mass-produced food. Even some so-called "health foods" contain well over recommended limits of fat, salt and sugar₃₄.

For more, see:

• "The Modern Obesity Epidemic" by Vexen Crabtree (2017).

3. Children's Health

3.1. Adolescent Birth Rate

#health #parenting #population

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better2
Pos.		2022 Per 10002
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 is 21st-worst in the world with regard 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 better5
Pos.		2015 Avg %5
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.

In terms of its immunizations take-up, Nigeria ranks 5th-worst in the world.