Life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria
Nigeria: Life expectancy at birth, total was 54.46 years in 2023. β² Rising
Life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria, 1970β2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria is 54.46 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 54 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria peaked at 54.46 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 40.01 years, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 212th out of 212 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 54 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 42.94 years | 40.01 years | 45.74 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 46.12 years | 45.83 years | 46.44 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 45.88 years | 45.48 years | 46.61 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.21 years | 47.14 years | 51.08 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 52.05 years | 51.31 years | 53.01 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.77 years | 53.07 years | 54.46 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More population data for Nigeria
- Population growth rate by level of development 0.023 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 32.05 million (2100)
- Population density 523.46 (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.023 (2100)
- Fertility and wanted fertility 4.38 (2024)
- Refugee population by country or territory of asylum 96,387 (2024)
- Fertility vs unmet contraception 4.38 (2024)
- Fertility vs contraception 4.38 (2024)
- Natural population growth 2.12 (2023)
- Fertility rate with projections 4.48 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria?
- Life expectancy at birth, total in Nigeria was 54.46 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 54.46 years in 2023.
- What is the lowest life expectancy at birth, total recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.01 years in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for life expectancy at birth, total?
- Nigeria ranks 212th out of 212 countries with data for 2023.
- Is life expectancy at birth, total rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Life expectancy at birth, total (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release