Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Nigeria
Nigeria: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 28.7% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Nigeria, 1990–2018
Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.
Analysis
In 2018, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Nigeria stood at 28.7%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.9% on the previous year and up 128.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Nigeria peaked at 28.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1990.
Nigeria ranks 59th of 72 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.6% | 1.7% | 15.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 13.8% | 11.5% | 15.6% | 4 |
| 2010s | 20.9% | 14.7% | 28.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More reference data data for Nigeria
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3216 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3105 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.8 °C (2026)
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- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4187 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.76 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 860.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Nigeria?
- Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Nigeria was 28.7% in 2018, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 28.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1990.
- How does Nigeria rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
- Nigeria ranks 59th out of 72 countries with data for 2018.
- Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 128.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.