Reported cases of leprosy in Nigeria
Nigeria: Reported cases of leprosy was 1,770 Cases in 2024. ▼ Falling
Reported cases of leprosy in Nigeria, 2005–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Cases.
Analysis
In 2024, reported cases of leprosy in Nigeria stood at 1,770 Cases.
That represents a change of down 27.0% on the previous year and down 40.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, reported cases of leprosy in Nigeria peaked at 5,024 Cases in 2005 and was at its lowest, 1,417 Cases, in 2020.
Nigeria ranks 9th of 181 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Reported cases of leprosy in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Cases | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 5,024 Cases | — |
| 2006 | 3,544 Cases | -29.5% |
| 2007 | 4,665 Cases | +31.6% |
| 2008 | 4,899 Cases | +5.0% |
| 2009 | 4,219 Cases | -13.9% |
| 2010 | 3,913 Cases | -7.3% |
| 2012 | 3,805 Cases | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 3,385 Cases | -11.0% |
| 2014 | 2,983 Cases | -11.9% |
| 2015 | 2,892 Cases | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 2,687 Cases | -7.1% |
| 2017 | 2,447 Cases | -8.9% |
| 2018 | 2,095 Cases | -14.4% |
| 2019 | 2,424 Cases | +15.7% |
| 2020 | 1,417 Cases | -41.5% |
| 2021 | 2,398 Cases | +69.2% |
| 2022 | 2,393 Cases | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 2,425 Cases | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 1,770 Cases | -27.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 1,770 Cases is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 88 Cases, 20.1× the median. (44 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 1,770 Cases is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 165 Cases, 10.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Reported cases of leprosy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +69.2% | 1,417 Cases | 2,398 Cases |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4,470 Cases | 3,544 Cases | 5,024 Cases | 5 |
| 2010s | 2,959 Cases | 2,095 Cases | 3,913 Cases | 9 |
| 2020s | 2,081 Cases | 1,417 Cases | 2,425 Cases | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 6 Mozambique 2,863 Cases compare
- 7 Ethiopia 2,523 Cases compare
- 8 Nepal 2,472 Cases compare
- 10 Madagascar 1,713 Cases compare
- 11 Philippines 1,707 Cases compare
- 12 Sri Lanka 1,282 Cases compare
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 reported cases of leprosy in Nigeria?
- Reported cases of leprosy in Nigeria was 1,770 Cases in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest reported cases of leprosy recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 5,024 Cases in 2005.
- What is the lowest reported cases of leprosy recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,417 Cases in 2020.
- How does Nigeria rank for reported cases of leprosy?
- Nigeria ranks 9th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
- Is reported cases of leprosy rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Reported cases of leprosy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of new cases of leprosy reported each year. Leprosy is a disease caused by a bacterial infection that can lead to significant disabilities.