Share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy in Nigeria

Nigeria: Share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy was 67.0% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
67.0%
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
95th
of 99 countries
All-time high
78.8%
in 1986
All-time low
54.1%
in 2010
Years of data
11
1986–2018

Share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy in Nigeria, 1986–2018

0204060801986200220181986: 78.8 %1990: 57.2 %1999: 63.6 %2003: 58 %2008: 57.7 %2010: 54.1 %2011: 66.2 %2013: 60.6 %2015: 62.6 %2017: 65.8 %2018: 67 %

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy in Nigeria is 67.0%, measured in 2018.

The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 16.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy in Nigeria peaked at 78.8% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 54.1%, in 2010.

That places Nigeria 95th out of 99 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy in Nigeria, 1986 to 2018.
Year % Change
1986 78.8%
1990 57.2% -27.4%
1999 63.6% +11.2%
2003 58.0% -8.8%
2008 57.7% -0.5%
2010 54.1% -6.2%
2011 66.2% +22.4%
2013 60.6% -8.5%
2015 62.6% +3.3%
2017 65.8% +5.1%
2018 67.0% +1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 78.8% 78.8% 78.8% 1
1990s 60.4% 57.2% 63.6% 2
2000s 57.9% 57.7% 58.0% 2
2010s 62.7% 54.1% 67.0% 6

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 92 Bangladesh 75.2% compare
  2. 93 Ethiopia 73.6% compare
  3. 94 Romania 72.3% compare
  4. 96 Afghanistan 65.2% compare
  5. 97 Yemen 59.8% compare
  6. 98 Chad 54.7% compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy in Nigeria?
Share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy in Nigeria was 67.0% in 2018, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 78.8% in 1986.
What is the lowest share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 54.1% in 2010.
How does Nigeria rank for share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy?
Nigeria ranks 95th out of 99 countries with data for 2018.
Is share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-mothers-receiving-at-least-one-antenatal-visit-during-pregnancy/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of mothers visited by a health professional during pregnancy
Unit
%
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
99 places, 789 data points, 1984–2021
Last refreshed

The estimated share of women who have had a live birth who were visited at least once during pregnancy by a skilled health personnel for reasons related to pregnancy.