People displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria

Nigeria: People displaced internally by natural disasters was 166,000 number of cases in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
166,000 number of cases
Change on year
down 93.2%
World rank
25th
of 146 countries
All-time high
3.89 million number of cases
in 2012
All-time low
3,000 number of cases
in 2014
Years of data
15
2009–2023

People displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria, 2009–2023

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M2009201620232009: 140.0k number of cases2010: 560.0k number of cases2011: 6.3k number of cases2012: 3.9M number of cases2013: 117.0k number of cases2014: 3.0k number of cases2015: 100.0k number of cases2016: 78.0k number of cases2017: 122.0k number of cases2018: 613.0k number of cases2019: 157.0k number of cases2020: 279.0k number of cases2021: 24.0k number of cases2022: 2.4M number of cases2023: 166.0k number of cases

Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in number of cases.

Analysis

The most recent figure for people displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria is 166,000 number of cases, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 93.2% on the previous year and up 41.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, people displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria peaked at 3.89 million number of cases in 2012 and was at its lowest, 3,000 number of cases, in 2014.

That places Nigeria 25th out of 146 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 140,000 number of cases 140,000 number of cases 140,000 number of cases 1
2010s 565,030 number of cases 3,000 number of cases 3.89 million number of cases 10
2020s 726,500 number of cases 24,000 number of cases 2.44 million number of cases 4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 22 Canada 192,000 number of cases compare
  2. 23 Peru 188,000 number of cases compare
  3. 24 South Sudan 167,000 number of cases compare
  4. 26 Morocco 146,000 number of cases compare
  5. 27 Democratic Republic of Congo 133,000 number of cases compare
  6. 28 Iran 124,000 number of cases compare

See the full ranking of 146 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is people displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria?
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria was 166,000 number of cases in 2023, according to Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 3.89 million number of cases in 2012.
What is the lowest people displaced internally by natural disasters recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 3,000 number of cases in 2014.
How does Nigeria rank for people displaced internally by natural disasters?
Nigeria ranks 25th out of 146 countries with data for 2023.
Is people displaced internally by natural disasters rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 41.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People displaced internally by natural disasters. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
People displaced internally by natural disasters
Unit
number of cases
Source
Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (IDMC), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
146 places, 1,631 data points, 2008–2023
Last refreshed

Internally-displaced persons are defined as people or groups of people who have been forced or obliged to flee or to leave their homes or places of habitual residence, as a result of natural or human-made disasters and who have not crossed an international border.