People displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria
Nigeria: People displaced internally by natural disasters was 166,000 number of cases in 2023. ◆ Volatile
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria, 2009–2023
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.
People displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | number of cases | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 140,000 number of cases | — |
| 2010 | 560,000 number of cases | +300.0% |
| 2011 | 6,300 number of cases | -98.9% |
| 2012 | 3.89 million number of cases | +61709.5% |
| 2013 | 117,000 number of cases | -97.0% |
| 2014 | 3,000 number of cases | -97.4% |
| 2015 | 100,000 number of cases | +3233.3% |
| 2016 | 78,000 number of cases | -22.0% |
| 2017 | 122,000 number of cases | +56.4% |
| 2018 | 613,000 number of cases | +402.5% |
| 2019 | 157,000 number of cases | -74.4% |
| 2020 | 279,000 number of cases | +77.7% |
| 2021 | 24,000 number of cases | -91.4% |
| 2022 | 2.44 million number of cases | +10054.2% |
| 2023 | 166,000 number of cases | -93.2% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 166,000 number of cases is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9,300 number of cases, 17.8× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 166,000 number of cases is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22,500 number of cases, 7.4× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where People displaced internally by natural disasters in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +61709.5% | 6,300 number of cases | 3.89 million number of cases |
| 2022 | +10054.2% | 24,000 number of cases | 2.44 million number of cases |
| 2015 | +3233.3% | 3,000 number of cases | 100,000 number of cases |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
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 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.