Civil liberties rating in Nigeria
Nigeria: Civil liberties rating was 5 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
5
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
41st
of 199 countries
All-time high
7
in 1995
All-time low
3
in 1978
Years of data
53
1972–2025
Civil liberties rating in Nigeria, 1972–2025
Source: Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for civil liberties rating in Nigeria is 5, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, civil liberties rating in Nigeria peaked at 7 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 3, in 1978.
Nigeria ranks 41st of 199 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Civil liberties rating in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 4 | — |
| 1973 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 1976 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 1977 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 3 | -25.0% |
| 1979 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 3 | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 5 | +66.7% |
| 1985 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 1992 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 1994 | 6 | +20.0% |
| 1995 | 7 | +16.7% |
| 1996 | 6 | -14.3% |
| 1997 | 6 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 4 | -33.3% |
| 1999 | 3 | -25.0% |
| 2000 | 4 | +33.3% |
| 2001 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 2002 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 4 | -20.0% |
| 2004 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 4 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5 | +25.0% |
| 2015 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 5 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 5 | +0.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 5 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 5 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.88 | 3 | 5 | 8 |
| 1980s | 4.33 | 3 | 5 | 9 |
| 1990s | 5 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.2 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.6 | 4 | 5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 41 Algeria 5 compare
- 41 Angola 5 compare
- 41 Brunei 5 compare
- 41 Burkina Faso 5 compare
- 41 Cambodia 5 compare
- 41 Comoros 5 compare
- 41 Djibouti 5 compare
- 41 Gabon 5 compare
- 41 Guinea 5 compare
- 41 Haiti 5 compare
- 41 Jordan 5 compare
- 41 Kazakhstan 5 compare
- 41 Kuwait 5 compare
- 41 Kyrgyzstan 5 compare
- 41 Maldives 5 compare
- 41 Mali 5 compare
- 41 Mauritania 5 compare
- 41 Morocco 5 compare
- 41 Niger 5 compare
- 41 Oman 5 compare
- 41 Pakistan 5 compare
- 41 Palestine 5 compare
- 41 Qatar 5 compare
- 41 Tanzania 5 compare
- 41 Thailand 5 compare
- 41 Uganda 5 compare
- 41 Zimbabwe 5 compare
More reference data data for Nigeria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 19.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 81.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 121.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 14.27 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is civil liberties rating in Nigeria?
- Civil liberties rating in Nigeria was 5 in 2025, according to Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest civil liberties rating recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 7 in 1995.
- What is the lowest civil liberties rating recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 in 1978.
- How does Nigeria rank for civil liberties rating?
- Nigeria ranks 41st out of 199 countries with data for 2025.
- Is civil liberties rating rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Freedom House (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Civil liberties rating. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Identifies the extent of freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, and personal autonomy. Lower ratings indicate more liberties.