Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in Nigeria

Nigeria: Probability of dying in infancy, by sex was 6.4% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
6.4%
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
2nd
of 236 countries
All-time high
14.9%
in 1950
All-time low
6.4%
in 2023
Years of data
74
1950–2023

Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in Nigeria, 1950–2023

051015195019862023

Source: Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, probability of dying in infancy, by sex in Nigeria stood at 6.4%. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and down 16.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, probability of dying in infancy, by sex in Nigeria peaked at 14.9% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 6.4%, in 2023.

That places Nigeria 2nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.

Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in Nigeria, 1950 to 2023.
Year % Change
1950 14.9%
1951 14.9% -0.4%
1952 14.8% -0.4%
1953 14.8% -0.4%
1954 14.7% -0.4%
1955 14.6% -0.4%
1956 14.6% -0.4%
1957 14.5% -0.4%
1958 14.4% -0.5%
1959 14.4% -0.5%
1960 14.3% -0.5%
1961 14.2% -0.5%
1962 14.1% -0.5%
1963 14.1% -0.5%
1964 14.0% -0.5%
1965 13.9% -0.5%
1966 13.9% -0.2%
1967 14.0% +0.7%
1968 13.7% -2.1%
1969 13.6% -0.7%
1970 13.5% -0.9%
1971 13.3% -1.4%
1972 13.1% -1.7%
1973 12.8% -1.8%
1974 12.6% -2.0%
1975 12.3% -2.0%
1976 12.1% -2.0%
1977 11.9% -1.9%
1978 11.6% -1.8%
1979 11.5% -1.6%
1980 11.3% -1.2%
1981 11.2% -1.2%
1982 11.1% -0.7%
1983 11.1% -0.5%
1984 11.0% -0.2%
1985 11.0% -0.0%
1986 11.0% +0.1%
1987 11.1% +0.1%
1988 11.1% +0.1%
1989 11.1% +0.1%
1990 11.1% -0.0%
1991 11.1% +0.1%
1992 11.0% -0.4%
1993 11.0% -0.4%
1994 10.9% -0.6%
1995 10.9% -0.8%
1996 10.7% -1.0%
1997 10.6% -1.3%
1998 10.4% -1.6%
1999 10.3% -1.7%
2000 10.0% -2.1%
2001 9.8% -2.2%
2002 9.6% -2.4%
2003 9.3% -2.5%
2004 9.1% -2.5%
2005 8.9% -2.6%
2006 8.6% -2.4%
2007 8.5% -2.3%
2008 8.3% -2.1%
2009 8.1% -1.8%
2010 8.0% -1.6%
2011 7.9% -1.4%
2012 7.8% -1.3%
2013 7.7% -1.1%
2014 7.6% -1.0%
2015 7.5% -1.1%
2016 7.4% -1.3%
2017 7.3% -1.4%
2018 7.2% -1.7%
2019 7.1% -2.0%
2020 6.9% -2.2%
2021 6.7% -2.4%
2022 6.6% -2.6%
2023 6.4% -2.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 14.7% 14.4% 14.9% 10
1960s 14.0% 13.6% 14.3% 10
1970s 12.5% 11.5% 13.5% 10
1980s 11.1% 11.0% 11.3% 10
1990s 10.8% 10.3% 11.1% 10
2000s 9.0% 8.1% 10.0% 10
2010s 7.6% 7.1% 8.0% 10
2020s 6.7% 6.4% 6.9% 4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 1 Sierra Leone 6.6% compare
  2. 3 Central African Republic 6.3% compare
  3. 4 Somalia 6.1% compare
  4. 5 Niger 6.1% compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is probability of dying in infancy, by sex in Nigeria?
Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in Nigeria was 6.4% in 2023, according to Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest probability of dying in infancy, by sex recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 14.9% in 1950.
What is the lowest probability of dying in infancy, by sex recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 6.4% in 2023.
How does Nigeria rank for probability of dying in infancy, by sex?
Nigeria ranks 2nd out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is probability of dying in infancy, by sex rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Probability of dying in infancy, by sex. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Probability of dying in infancy, by sex in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/probability-that-a-newborn-will-die-in-the-first-year-of-life-by-sex/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Probability of dying in infancy, by sex
Unit
%
Source
Human Mortality Database (2025); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 18,722 data points, 1751–2023
Last refreshed

Probability of dying in a given interval, among people who survived to the start of that interval.