Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Nigeria

Nigeria: Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths was 1.32 million children in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.32 million children
Change on year
down 7.2%
World rank
1st
of 139 countries
All-time high
1.61 million children
in 2019
All-time low
65,335 children
in 1990
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths in Nigeria, 1990–2024

0500.0k1.0M1.5M1990200720241990: 65.3k children1991: 88.8k children1992: 118.4k children1993: 154.9k children1994: 199.8k children1995: 253.1k children1996: 314.5k children1997: 383.7k children1998: 460.6k children1999: 544.0k children2000: 629.3k children2001: 715.6k children2002: 803.5k children2003: 890.9k children2004: 977.9k children2005: 1.1M children2006: 1.1M children2007: 1.2M children2008: 1.3M children2009: 1.3M children2010: 1.4M children2011: 1.4M children2012: 1.5M children2013: 1.5M children2014: 1.5M children2015: 1.6M children2016: 1.6M children2017: 1.6M children2018: 1.6M children2019: 1.6M children2020: 1.6M children2021: 1.6M children2022: 1.5M children2023: 1.4M children2024: 1.3M children

Source: Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in children.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 1.32 million children for children orphaned due to aids deaths in 2024.

The figure is down 7.2% on the previous year and down 14.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, children orphaned due to aids deaths in Nigeria peaked at 1.61 million children in 2019 and was at its lowest, 65,335 children, in 1990.

Nigeria ranks 1st of 139 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 258,328 children 65,335 children 544,014 children 10
2000s 1.00 million children 629,296 children 1.33 million children 10
2010s 1.53 million children 1.37 million children 1.61 million children 10
2020s 1.48 million children 1.32 million children 1.60 million children 5

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 2 Mozambique 1.20 million children compare
  2. 3 Tanzania 932,484 children compare
  3. 4 Uganda 894,562 children compare

See the full ranking of 139 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is children orphaned due to aids deaths in Nigeria?
Children orphaned due to aids deaths in Nigeria was 1.32 million children in 2024, according to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest children orphaned due to aids deaths recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 1.61 million children in 2019.
What is the lowest children orphaned due to aids deaths recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 65,335 children in 1990.
How does Nigeria rank for children orphaned due to aids deaths?
Nigeria ranks 1st out of 139 countries with data for 2024.
Is children orphaned due to aids deaths rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Children orphaned due to AIDS deaths
Unit
children
Source
Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
139 places, 4,809 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed

Number of children, aged 17 and under, who have been orphaned by the death of one or both parents from AIDS at any point in their lives. This is the central estimate.