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How Many People Have Malaria in Nigeria? [2024 Statistics, Data & Trends]
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How Many People Have Malaria in Nigeria? [2024 Statistics, Data & Trends]
~68 Million cases/year
๐ WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO), 2023 โ based on 2021 validated data
Nigeria has the highest malaria burden of any country on earth, accounting for 25.9% of all global malaria cases and 30.9% of all global malaria deaths in 2023. With 97% of Nigeria's population at risk, malaria remains the country's single biggest infectious disease challenge.
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๐ Quick Reference: Key Malaria Statistics โ Nigeria All figures verified with named sources and years
| Statistic | Figure | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Estimated malaria cases (Nigeria, annually) | ~68 million | WHO/AFRO | 2023 (2021 data) |
| Share of global malaria cases | 25.9% | WHO World Malaria Report | 2024 (2023 data) |
| Share of global malaria deaths | 30.9% | WHO World Malaria Report | 2024 (2023 data) |
| Estimated annual malaria deaths (Nigeria) | ~194,000 | WHO/AFRO | 2023 (2021 data) |
| Population at risk of malaria | 97% | WHO / Severe Malaria Observatory | 2024 |
| Case incidence (per 1,000 at risk) | 299 | WHO World Malaria Report | 2024 (2023 data) |
| Share of West Africa malaria cases | 55% | WHO World Malaria Report | 2024 (2023 data) |
| Confirmed reported cases (HMIS) | 24,098,323 | World Bank / Nigeria HMIS | 2023 |
| Children under-5 malaria deaths (Nigeria) | ~95,000/year | Malaria Journal | 2022 |
| Nigeria share of global under-5 malaria deaths | 39% | PMC / Malaria Journal | 2024 (2023 data) |
| Malaria parasitaemia, children under 5 | 23% | Nigeria DHS / WHO | 2018 |
| Children covered by SMC (preventive treatment) | 28.9 million | WHO / SMC Alliance | 2023 |
๐ How Many People Have Malaria in Nigeria? โ The Complete 2024 Data
Nigeria has an estimated 68 million malaria cases per year, making it the country with the highest malaria burden on earth. This figure comes from the WHO Regional Office for Africa's 2023 Report on Malaria in Nigeria, using 2021 surveillance data โ the most recent year for which fully validated national estimates are available. In 2023, Nigeria accounted for 25.9% of all global estimated malaria cases and 30.9% of all global malaria deaths, according to the WHO World Malaria Report 2024.[1][2]
It is essential to distinguish between two numbers that often cause confusion. The estimated case burden โ approximately 68 million โ is a modelled figure that accounts for all cases including those never diagnosed or reported. The confirmed reported cases figure, drawn from Nigeria's Health Management Information System (HMIS) and reported to the World Bank, was 24,098,323 in 2023.[3] The gap reflects Nigeria's vast underdiagnosis problem: millions of Nigerians with malaria never reach a health facility or receive an RDT-confirmed test.
Nigeria's malaria burden is not uniform. Transmission is year-round in the humid south and south-east, while the north experiences a shorter but intense transmission season. The 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey found that 23% of children under five had malaria parasitaemia,[4] down from 42% in 2010 and 27% in 2015 โ real progress, but from a devastatingly high baseline.
25.9%
Nigeria's share of ALL global malaria cases in 2023
WHO World Malaria Report 2024 โ one country, one quarter of the world's entire malaria burden
๐ก Key Takeaway: Nigeria alone carries more malaria than all of South-East Asia, the Americas, and the Eastern Mediterranean combined. Approximately 1 in every 4 malaria cases on earth occurs within Nigerian borders.
~68M
Estimated cases per year in Nigeria
WHO/AFRO, 2023
~194K
Estimated annual malaria deaths in Nigeria
WHO/AFRO, 2023
97%
Of Nigeria's population at risk of malaria
WHO / Severe Malaria Observatory, 2024
๐ Malaria in Nigeria โ Breakdown by Population Group
The headline figure of 68 million masks profound inequalities. Children under five and pregnant women bear the greatest burden, and transmission intensity varies significantly by zone.
| Population Group | Key Statistic | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Children under 5 (annual deaths) | ~95,000 deaths per year | Malaria Journal | 2022 |
| Nigeria share of global under-5 malaria deaths | 39% of all global deaths in this group | PMC / Malaria Journal | 2024 |
| Children under 5 (parasitaemia, 2018) | 23% tested positive | Nigeria DHS / WHO | 2018 |
| Children under 5 (parasitaemia, 2015) | 27% โ showing decline | Nigeria MIS / WHO | 2015 |
| Children under 5 (parasitaemia, 2010 baseline) | 42% โ decade-high baseline | Nigeria MIS / WHO | 2010 |
| Pregnant women exposed in sub-Saharan Africa | 34% of 35.96M pregnancies | WHO World Malaria Report | 2024 (2023 data) |
| Children covered by SMC | 28.9 million in 2023 | WHO / SMC Alliance | 2023 |
39%
Nigeria's share of all global malaria deaths in children under five
PMC / Malaria Journal, 2024 โ nearly 4 in 10 of the world's child malaria deaths
๐ก Key Takeaway: A child in Nigeria dies from malaria approximately every 5 minutes. The decline in parasitaemia from 42% (2010) to 23% (2018) shows interventions are working โ but the absolute death toll remains catastrophic.
๐ Nigeria's Share of Global Malaria Burden โ 2023
Bar chart showing Nigeria's percentage of global malaria burden across four key indicators. Source: WHO World Malaria Report 2024; PMC/Malaria Journal 2024.
Nigeria's share
Rest of world
๐ Source: WHO World Malaria Report 2024; WHO/AFRO 2023; PMC/Malaria Journal 2024
๐ Journalists and bloggers may cite this chart with attribution to enavecpharmacy.com
๐ Malaria in Nigeria โ Trend Over Time (2015โ2023)
Nigeria made substantial progress between 2000 and 2019, driven by ITN distribution, indoor residual spraying, and ACT rollout. Progress stalled from 2020 as COVID-19 disrupted health services. Case incidence fell 2% between 2022 and 2023, from 305 to 299 per 1,000 population at risk.[2] Death incidence declined 6.5% over the same period โ a more encouraging signal. However Nigeria still added 1.4 million cases to the global total in 2023.[5]
โ ๏ธ ITN Coverage Declining: The proportion of Nigerians sleeping under an insecticide-treated net the previous night fell from 43% (2018) to 36% (2021). Coverage among children under five fell from 52% to 41%, and among pregnant women from 58% to 50% (WHO/AFRO, 2023). This is a major risk factor for rising cases in future years.
๐ก Key Takeaway: After a decade of slow decline, Nigeria's malaria incidence plateaued from 2020 onward. The 2% reduction in incidence between 2022 and 2023 is real but insufficient โ at this rate Nigeria will not meet its 2025 target of reducing parasite prevalence below 10%.
๐ Nigeria Malaria Case Incidence โ 2015 to 2023
Cases per 1,000 population at risk. COVID-19 caused a spike in 2020โ2021. Source: WHO World Malaria Reports 2018โ2024.
Nigeria โ cases per 1,000 at risk
๐ Source: WHO World Malaria Reports 2018โ2024 (annual series). COVID-19 impact noted 2020โ2021.
๐ Journalists and bloggers may cite this chart with attribution to enavecpharmacy.com
๐ Malaria in Nigeria vs the World โ Country Comparison
The comparison below uses 2023 data from the WHO World Malaria Report 2024, the same year across all countries for comparability. The UK, USA, and Canada are included as reference points โ they have eliminated endemic malaria. Ghana, Kenya, and South Africa represent regional African comparators.
| Country | Estimated Cases (2023) | % Global Cases | Deaths (2023) | Incidence (per 1,000) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ๐ณ๐ฌ Nigeria | ~68.1 million | 25.9% | ~184,000 | 299 | WHO WMR 2024 |
| ๐จ๐ฉ DR Congo | ~33.2 million | 12.6% | ~66,000 | ~340 | WHO WMR 2024 |
| ๐บ๐ฌ Uganda | ~13.5 million | 5.2% | ~20,000 | ~288 | WHO WMR 2024 |
| ๐ฌ๐ญ Ghana | ~5.5 million | ~2.1% | ~8,500 | ~158 | WHO WMR 2024 |
| ๐ฐ๐ช Kenya | ~3.5 million | ~1.3% | ~7,700 | ~62 | WHO WMR 2024 |
| ๐ฟ๐ฆ South Africa | ~70,000 | <0.1% | ~50 | ~5 | WHO WMR 2024 |
| ๐ฌ๐ง United Kingdom | ~1,800 (imported) | <0.01% | <10 | N/A โ eliminated | UKHSA 2024 |
| ๐บ๐ธ United States | ~2,000 (imported) | <0.01% | <10 | N/A โ eliminated | CDC 2024 |
| ๐จ๐ฆ Canada | ~400 (imported) | <0.01% | <5 | N/A โ eliminated | PHAC 2024 |
๐ฏ WHO Global Target: The WHO Global Technical Strategy 2016โ2030 targets a 75% reduction in case incidence and mortality by 2025. Nigeria's 2023 incidence of 299 per 1,000 at risk is more than double the level needed to be on track. Nigeria's own 2021โ2025 National Malaria Strategic Plan targets parasite prevalence below 10% and mortality below 50 deaths per 1,000 live births by 2025 (NMEP, 2021).
๐ก Key Takeaway: Nigeria's malaria incidence is approximately 5 times higher than Kenya's and 60 times higher than South Africa's. The gap is not inevitable โ it is a product of healthcare investment, political will, and health system capacity.
๐ Malaria Case Incidence by Country โ 2023
Cases per 1,000 population at risk. Nigeria highlighted in green. UK, USA, Canada have eliminated endemic malaria. Source: WHO World Malaria Report 2024.
๐ Source: WHO World Malaria Report 2024 โ country profiles. 2023 data, validated November 2024.
๐ Journalists and bloggers may cite this chart with attribution to enavecpharmacy.com
๐ฅ Why This Matters โ The Real-World Impact of Nigeria's Malaria Burden
Patient Impact
For the average Nigerian family, malaria is a recurring financial catastrophe. High out-of-pocket expenditure is a documented driver of under-five malaria mortality, because households in the lowest income quintile delay or forgo care when they cannot afford artemisinin-based combination therapy.[6] A child with uncomplicated malaria not treated promptly faces an estimated 0.3% chance of progression to severe malaria โ which carries a sharply elevated case fatality rate without injectable artesunate.[7]
Economic Impact
Malaria is estimated to cost Africa over $12 billion USD annually in lost productivity (WHO/RBM Partnership, 2023). At the country level, Nigeria's burden reduces GDP growth by an estimated 1.3% per year through lost working days, premature death, and healthcare costs. Global malaria investment reached $4 billion in 2023 โ far below the $8.3 billion needed to stay on track.[5]
Policy Implication
The Nigerian government secured $364 million from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and Islamic Development Bank to fund malaria interventions in 13 states between 2020 and 2024.[4] The National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) has adopted the WHO High Burden High Impact (HBHI) approach. Yet ITN usage fell from 43% to 36% of households between 2018 and 2021 โ a sign that distribution without sustained community engagement is not enough.
Global Health Context
Malaria is directly addressed under UN Sustainable Development Goal 3.3, which calls for ending the epidemic of malaria by 2030. Nigeria's burden is the single largest obstacle to achieving this target globally. As the WHO World Malaria Report 2024 makes clear, the global mortality rate of 13.7 deaths per 100,000 at risk in 2023 is nearly three times higher than the level needed to meet the Global Technical Strategy 2025 target.[8]
๐ฌ Expert Statement: "Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Niger, and Tanzania accounted for more than 50% of all global malaria deaths in 2023. Progress in these countries is essential to reaching the global targets." โ WHO World Malaria Report 2024, Lancet Microbe, February 2025.[8]
๐ก Key Takeaway: Every year Nigeria fails to significantly reduce its malaria burden costs the country an estimated $1.8 billion in healthcare expenditure and lost economic productivity โ resources that would otherwise drive development across all sectors.
๐ Data Methodology & Notes
๐ฌ How These Figures Were Collected
The primary figure of ~68 million cases is an estimated figure, not a count of reported cases. It is derived from WHO Global Malaria Programme modelling combining:
- Nigeria's Health Management Information System (HMIS) confirmed case reports
- National Malaria Indicator Survey (NMIS) prevalence data from household surveys
- Population denominators from the Nigeria National Population Commission
- Adjustment factors for care-seeking rates, diagnostic coverage, and facility utilisation
The confirmed reported figure (24,098,323 in 2023, World Bank/HMIS) captures only laboratory-confirmed or RDT-confirmed cases at health facilities. The estimated figure (~68 million) is approximately 2.8ร higher, reflecting the large proportion of cases that are self-treated or never diagnosed.
Why different sources give different numbers: WHO/AFRO's 2023 report uses 2021 data (the most recently validated year at publication). The WHO World Malaria Report 2024 presents Nigeria's share as a percentage of 2023 global cases. Nigeria's 25.9% share of 263 million global cases implies approximately 68.1 million Nigerian cases in 2023 โ consistent with the 2021 absolute figure from WHO/AFRO.
Last Updated: Data last verified January 2025. This page is reviewed annually when new WHO World Malaria Reports are published (typically NovemberโDecember).
โ Frequently Asked Questions About Malaria Statistics in Nigeria
An estimated 68 million people get malaria in Nigeria every year, based on WHO/AFRO data (2023, using 2021 estimates). This makes Nigeria the country with the highest malaria burden on earth, accounting for 25.9% of all global malaria cases in 2023 (WHO World Malaria Report 2024). Confirmed reported cases โ officially diagnosed at health facilities โ were 24,098,323 in 2023 (World Bank/Nigeria HMIS). The gap reflects Nigeria's massive underdiagnosis problem.
An estimated 194,000 Nigerians die from malaria every year (WHO/AFRO, 2023, using 2021 data). Nigeria accounted for 30.9% of all global malaria deaths in 2023 (WHO World Malaria Report 2024). Children under five bear the greatest burden โ approximately 95,000 child malaria deaths occur in Nigeria annually, representing 39% of all global malaria deaths in children under five (PMC/Malaria Journal, 2024).
The trend is mixed. Malaria case incidence fell 2% between 2022 and 2023 (from 305 to 299 per 1,000 at risk), and death incidence fell 6.5% over the same period (WHO World Malaria Report 2024). However, ITN usage fell from 43% to 36% between 2018 and 2021 โ a dangerous reversal. Nigeria remains far from its 2025 NMSP target of reducing parasite prevalence below 10%.
In 2023, Nigeria accounted for 25.9% of all global malaria cases and 30.9% of all global malaria deaths (WHO World Malaria Report 2024). Nigeria also accounts for 55% of all malaria cases in West Africa and 39% of all global malaria deaths in children under five. No other single country comes close โ the second highest burden country, DR Congo, accounts for 12.6% of global cases.
According to the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), 23% of children under five tested positive for malaria parasitaemia. This represents progress from 42% in 2010 and 27% in 2015 โ but still means nearly 1 in 4 Nigerian children under five currently carries the malaria parasite. Prevalence runs at approximately 16% in the south and south-east and significantly higher in the north.
Nigeria's case incidence of 299 per 1,000 at risk (2023) is higher than Ghana (~158) and approximately five times higher than Kenya (~62). South Africa, which has near-eliminated malaria, has an incidence of only ~5 per 1,000. DR Congo โ the second worst-affected country โ has approximately half Nigeria's case incidence despite a similar population size (WHO World Malaria Report 2024).
The most authoritative sources are: the WHO World Malaria Report (published annually at who.int), the WHO/AFRO Report on Malaria in Nigeria (afro.who.int), the National Malaria Elimination Programme (nmcp.gov.ng), the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (ncdc.gov.ng), and the Nigeria Malaria Indicator Survey data at the World Bank Microdata Library. All figures on this page are traced to these primary sources.
Nigeria's NMEP leads efforts under the 2021โ2025 National Malaria Strategic Plan. Key interventions include: mass ITN distribution campaigns; Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) which reached 28.9 million children in 2023 โ the world's largest SMC programme; indoor residual spraying; universal access to RDTs and artemisinin-based combination therapy; and introduction of the R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine into Nigeria's routine immunisation schedule in 2024. Financing includes $364 million from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and Islamic Development Bank (2020โ2024).
๐ More Stats & Data from Enavec Pharmacy
๐ How to Cite This Data
For journalists, researchers, and bloggers who wish to cite statistics from this page:
APA
Enavec Pharmacy. (2025). How many people have malaria in Nigeria? [2024 Statistics]. Enavec Pharmacy. https://enavecpharmacy.com/how-many-people-have-malaria-in-nigeria-2024-statistics-data-trends/
MLA
Enavec Pharmacy. "How Many People Have Malaria in Nigeria? [2024 Statistics]." Enavec Pharmacy, 2025, https://enavecpharmacy.com/how-many-people-have-malaria-in-nigeria-2024-statistics-data-trends/
Journalist / Plain Text
According to Enavec Pharmacy (2025), citing WHO/AFRO data, Nigeria has an estimated 68 million malaria cases annually โ 25.9% of all global cases (WHO World Malaria Report 2024).
๐ฅ Need Malaria Treatment or Prevention Products?
Our licensed pharmacists can advise on artemisinin-based combination therapy, rapid diagnostic tests, insecticide-treated nets, and malaria prophylaxis for travellers.
Data Disclaimer: All statistics on this page are sourced from publicly available, peer-reviewed, or government publications. Figures represent estimates based on WHO Global Malaria Programme modelling methodology and may differ from confirmed reported case counts. This page is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Emergency contacts: Nigeria NCDC Hotline: 0800-970000-10 ยท Lagos Emergency: 112 ยท UK NHS 111 ยท USA: 911 ยท Canada: 911.
๐ References
- WHO Regional Office for Africa. (2023). Report on Malaria in Nigeria 2022. Brazzaville: WHO/AFRO. afro.who.int
- World Health Organization. (2024). World Malaria Report 2024. Geneva: WHO. who.int
- World Bank. (2024). Malaria Cases Reported โ Nigeria. World Development Indicators. data.worldbank.org
- Severe Malaria Observatory. (2024). Malaria in Nigeria: Statistics & Facts. severemalaria.org
- United to Beat Malaria. (2024). 2024 World Malaria Report: What You Need to Know. beatmalaria.org
- Ezeoke OP, et al. (2022). Addressing child health inequity through case management of under-five malaria in Nigeria. Malaria Journal, 21. malariajournal.biomedcentral.com
- Okereke E, et al. (2024). Severe malaria intervention status in Nigeria: workshop meeting report. Malaria Journal, 23, 177. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Lalloo DG, et al. (2025). WHO world malaria report 2024. The Lancet Microbe. February 2025. thelancet.com
- World Health Organization. (2025). Fact Sheet About Malaria. Updated January 2025. who.int
- Medicines for Malaria Venture. (2025). Malaria Facts & Statistics 2025. mmv.org
- Oguoma VM, et al. (2024). Determinants of malaria spread among under-five children in Nigeria: 2021 NMIS. PubMed. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP). (2021). National Malaria Strategic Plan 2021โ2025. Abuja: Federal Ministry of Health. nmcp.gov.ng
- World Malaria Report 2024. (2024). Current State: The Malaria Situation Worldwide. worldmalariareport2024.org
- PMC. (2024). Global burden of malaria in children under 15, 1990โ2021. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- United to Beat Malaria. (2023). World Malaria Report 2023: What You Need to Know. beatmalaria.org
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