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What Is Nigeria’s Infant Mortality Rate? [2025 Data & Trends]
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👶 Statistics & Data Report — Verified · With Charts & Trends
Nigeria
Infant Mortality
UNICEF 2024
World Bank
NDHS 2023
WHO Data
Child Health
What Is Nigeria's Infant Mortality Rate? [2025 Data & Trends]
Nigeria loses more infants before their first birthday than almost any other nation on earth. Behind every statistic is a child who deserved better — and a preventable death that shouldn't have happened. Every figure below is sourced, verified, and visualised.
🔬 Primary Answer — Infant Mortality Rate
54.7
deaths per 1,000 live births (2023)
Roughly 1 in 18 babies born in Nigeria dies before reaching their first birthday. Nigeria accounts for approximately 10% of all infant deaths globally despite having only 3% of the world's population.
Sources: World Bank · UNICEF · WHO · NDHS 2023
🔍 Commonly Searched Topics
- Nigeria infant mortality rate 2024 2025
- How many babies die in Nigeria each year?
- Nigeria child mortality statistics WHO
- Causes of infant mortality in Nigeria
- Nigeria neonatal mortality rate data
- How to reduce infant mortality Nigeria
- Nigeria vs global infant mortality comparison
🌍 Reader Locations
- 🇳🇬 Nigeria — primary audience
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom — diaspora & researchers
- 🇺🇸 United States — public health students
- 🇬🇭 Ghana — regional health professionals
- 🇿🇦 South Africa — policy comparisons
- 🇨🇦 Canada — global health researchers
- 🇮🇳 India — comparable-burden country
🌐
Section 1 — Global Context
Infant Mortality: The Global Picture in 2025
Globally, infant mortality has fallen dramatically over the past 30 years — but progress has been deeply unequal. Sub-Saharan Africa, and Nigeria in particular, continues to bear a catastrophically disproportionate share of preventable infant deaths.
~4.5M
Infant deaths globally per year (2022)
Approximately 4.5 million infants (under age 1) died globally in 2022 — down from 8.8 million in 2000 but still representing a preventable tragedy at a rate of over 12,000 deaths per day worldwide.
UNICEF, WHO, World Bank — 2023
54.7
Nigeria's IMR — deaths per 1,000 live births
Nigeria's infant mortality rate of 54.7 per 1,000 live births (2023) is over 9× the UK rate and nearly 10× the USA rate. It is among the 15 highest rates in the world and the highest in absolute death numbers in sub-Saharan Africa.
World Bank / UNICEF · 2024
−42%
Nigeria's IMR decline since 2000
Nigeria's infant mortality rate has fallen from approximately 96 per 1,000 in 2000 to 54.7 in 2023 — a 42% improvement over 23 years. However, progress has slowed significantly since 2015 and lags far behind comparable economies.
World Bank Time Series · 2024
300–320K
Infants dying in Nigeria annually
With approximately 7.1 million live births per year (World Bank, 2023), Nigeria's IMR of 54.7 translates to roughly 300,000–320,000 infant deaths every year — equivalent to a major city's population of children under one.
World Bank · UNICEF · 2023
35.4
Neonatal mortality rate (per 1,000 live births)
Of Nigeria's total infant deaths, the majority occur in the neonatal period (first 28 days of life). Nigeria's neonatal mortality rate of 35.4 per 1,000 live births (2023) accounts for ~65% of all infant deaths, pointing to failures at the point of birth.
WHO / UNICEF · 2023
43%
Births attended by skilled health personnel
Only 43% of births in Nigeria are attended by a skilled health worker (NDHS, 2023) — one of the lowest rates in Africa. Home deliveries without skilled care are a key driver of preventable neonatal deaths from birth complications and infections.
NDHS 2023 · FMOH Nigeria
⚠️ Critical Context — What 54.7 Really Means
Every day in Nigeria, over 870 babies die before they reach their first birthday — most from causes that are entirely preventable.
Nigeria's IMR of 54.7 per 1,000 live births means that in a typical Nigerian maternity ward delivering 100 babies today, more than 5 of those infants will not survive to their first birthday. The overwhelming majority of these deaths are from preventable causes: neonatal infections treatable with basic antibiotics, birth asphyxia manageable with skilled attendants, and severe pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria — all addressable with available medicines and vaccines. This is not a medical mystery. It is a systems failure.
World Bank · UNICEF · WHO Child Mortality Report 2023 · NDHS 2023🇳🇬
Section 2 — Nigeria Deep Dive
Nigeria's Infant Mortality: The Full Data Dashboard
Nigeria's infant mortality crisis is shaped by geography, poverty, healthcare access, and systemic underinvestment in maternal and child health. Here is the complete picture.
Nigeria Child Mortality Dashboard — 2025
WHO · UNICEF · World Bank · NDHS
54.7
IMR per 1,000 live births
World Bank · 2023
35.4
Neonatal MR per 1,000 live births
WHO / UNICEF · 2023
~320K
Infant deaths per year (absolute)
Derived · World Bank · 2023
~10%
Share of global infant deaths
UNICEF · 2023
Nigeria's infant mortality burden is unevenly distributed across its 36 states and FCT. The 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reveals stark geographic disparities: infant mortality rates in the North West and North East geopolitical zones exceed 80 per 1,000 live births — above the 1990 national average — while states in the South West, particularly Lagos, record rates closer to 35–40 per 1,000. This internal inequality reflects decades of differential investment in healthcare infrastructure, skilled birth attendants, vaccination coverage, and WASH access.
Wealth quintile is an even sharper predictor than geography. Infants born to mothers in the poorest quintile are more than three times more likely to die before age one than those born to the wealthiest quintile, according to NDHS 2023 data — making infant mortality in Nigeria fundamentally a crisis of inequality, not just underdevelopment.
📈
Section 3 — Historical Trend
Nigeria's IMR Over Time: Progress & Stagnation
Nigeria has made measurable progress on infant mortality since 2000, driven by expanded vaccination, improved malaria prevention, and greater skilled birth attendance. But the pace of decline has slowed — and the absolute number of deaths remains unacceptably high.
📈 Chart 1: Nigeria Infant Mortality Rate — Historical Trend & SDG Target
World Bank · 1990–2023
🔗 Journalists may cite with attribution to enavecpharmacy.com · Data: World Bank, WHO, UNICEF · IMR = infant deaths per 1,000 live births
1990
IMR: ~120 per 1,000 — the crisis baseline
Nigeria's IMR stood at approximately 120 per 1,000 live births in 1990 — meaning 1 in 8 babies died before their first birthday. This was among the highest rates in the world at the time. Primary causes included neonatal infections, birth complications, diarrhoeal disease, and malaria.
World Bank Development Indicators · 1990
2000
IMR: ~96 — Millennium Development Goals launched
Nigeria committed to the MDG target of reducing under-5 mortality by two-thirds by 2015. Progress from 1990–2000 was modest. The National Programme on Immunisation expanded access to essential vaccines but skilled birth attendance remained below 40%.
World Bank · UNICEF MICS Nigeria · 2000
2006–2010
Acceleration — malaria nets, ORS, vaccines scale
Nigeria's fastest period of IMR decline. Large-scale distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets (ITNs) through the National Malaria Control Programme, expanded use of oral rehydration salts for diarrhoea, and introduction of pentavalent vaccine all contributed to accelerated infant survival gains.
FMOH Nigeria · WHO Nigeria · 2010
2015
IMR: ~72 — MDG target missed
Nigeria fell significantly short of its MDG child mortality target. While the IMR fell to ~72, it would have needed to reach ~40 to meet MDG 4. Nigeria accounted for more infant deaths in 2015 than in 1990 in absolute numbers — due to population growth outpacing rate improvements.
WHO · UNICEF · 2015 MDG Progress Report
2020–2021
COVID-19 disruption — vaccination gaps widen
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted immunisation schedules and maternal health service use across Nigeria. UNICEF estimated that up to 30% of routine immunisation sessions were cancelled in 2020. Progress on IMR stagnated. Health worker redeployment to COVID response reduced antenatal care coverage.
UNICEF Nigeria · WHO Nigeria · 2021
2023
IMR: 54.7 — SDG 3.2 target still far off
Nigeria's current IMR of 54.7 remains far from the SDG 3.2 target of ≤12 per 1,000 live births by 2030. At the current pace of decline (~1.5 points/year), Nigeria would not reach the SDG target until approximately 2057 — nearly three decades too late.
World Bank · UNICEF · 2024 SDG Progress Review
🔍
Section 4 — Causes of Infant Death
What Is Killing Nigeria's Infants? Leading Causes
The causes of infant mortality in Nigeria are well-documented — and almost entirely preventable with available medicines, vaccines, and skilled care. This is not an absence of solutions; it is an absence of equitable access.
Cause #1
Neonatal Complications
~35%
Preterm birth, birth asphyxia, and neonatal sepsis collectively cause approximately 35% of all infant deaths in Nigeria. Most are preventable with skilled birth attendance, kangaroo mother care, and basic neonatal antibiotics. Source: IHME GBD 2022 · NDHS 2023.
IHME GBD · 2022
Cause #2
Pneumonia
~18%
Pneumonia remains the single largest infectious cause of post-neonatal infant death in Nigeria. Low pneumococcal vaccine coverage (PCV13 <50%), household air pollution from cooking fires, and delayed care-seeking all amplify pneumonia mortality in infants. Source: UNICEF/WHO 2023.
UNICEF · WHO · 2023
Cause #3
Diarrhoeal Diseases
~15%
Diarrhoea is responsible for approximately 15% of infant deaths — caused primarily by contaminated water and inadequate sanitation. Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS) and zinc supplementation are highly effective and inexpensive but remain underused in rural Nigeria. Source: WHO / FMOH 2023.
WHO · FMOH Nigeria · 2023
Cause #4
Malaria
~12%
Malaria kills approximately 12% of infants who die in Nigeria. Infants under 6 months have limited maternal antibody protection and are highly vulnerable. ITN coverage for infants under 1 remains below 50% in the highest-burden northern states. Source: NMEP Nigeria · WHO 2023.
NMEP · WHO Malaria Report · 2023
Cause #5
Malnutrition (Underlying)
~45%
Malnutrition is an underlying cause (not direct cause) of approximately 45% of all child deaths in Nigeria — it weakens immune defences, making infants far more likely to die from pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria. Exclusive breastfeeding rates in Nigeria remain at only 29%. Source: NDHS 2023.
NDHS 2023 · UNICEF Nigeria
Factor
Healthcare Access Gap
57%
57% of Nigerian births occur outside a health facility (NDHS 2023). These home births — typically unattended by skilled staff — carry dramatically higher neonatal death risks from birth asphyxia, uncontrolled haemorrhage, and undetected congenital problems. Source: NDHS 2023.
NDHS 2023 · FMOH
🌍
Section 5 — Global Comparison
How Nigeria Compares: IMR by Country
Nigeria's infant mortality rate is not just high by African standards — it is extraordinarily high by any measure. The following comparison illustrates what is possible with deliberate investment in maternal and child health systems.
🇳🇬
Nigeria
54.7
per 1,000 — among world's highest · 1 in 18 babies
World Bank · 2023
🇬🇭
Ghana
31.2
per 1,000 — lower income, far better outcomes
World Bank · 2023
🇿🇦
South Africa
24.9
per 1,000 — stronger health system
World Bank · 2023
🇰🇪
Kenya
29.0
per 1,000 — comparable income, better outcomes
World Bank · 2023
🇬🇧
United Kingdom
3.7
per 1,000 — near-universal skilled care
ONS / World Bank · 2023
🇺🇸
United States
5.4
per 1,000 — high income, racial disparities persist
CDC · World Bank · 2023
🇮🇳
India
25.5
per 1,000 — rapid decline from 68 in 2000
World Bank · 2023
🌍
Global Average
27.4
per 1,000 — Nigeria is 2× the global average
World Bank · 2023
🌍 Chart 2: IMR Country Comparison — Deaths per 1,000 Live Births (2023)
World Bank · 2024
🔗 Journalists may cite with attribution to enavecpharmacy.com · Nigeria bar highlighted in rose · SDG 3.2 target shown as dashed line
📋
Section 6 — Data Reference
Quick Reference Data Table
📋 Nigeria Infant Mortality — Key Statistics 2025
12 verified data points
| Statistic | Figure | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇬 Nigeria IMR (per 1,000 live births) | 54.7 | World Bank / UNICEF | 2023 |
| Nigeria neonatal mortality rate (per 1,000) | 35.4 | WHO / UNICEF | 2023 |
| Annual infant deaths (Nigeria) | ~300,000–320,000 | Derived · World Bank | 2023 |
| Nigeria's share of global infant deaths | ~10% | UNICEF | 2023 |
| Nigeria IMR in 2000 (historical) | ~96 | World Bank | 2000 |
| IMR decline 2000–2023 | −42% | World Bank Time Series | 2024 |
| Births attended by skilled personnel | 43% | NDHS 2023 | 2023 |
| Births outside health facility | 57% | NDHS 2023 | 2023 |
| Exclusive breastfeeding rate (6 months) | 29% | NDHS 2023 | 2023 |
| SDG 3.2 IMR target | ≤12 | UN SDG Framework | 2030 target |
| Global average IMR | 27.4 | World Bank | 2023 |
| DTP3 vaccine coverage Nigeria | 57% | WHO / UNICEF | 2023 |
📥 For CSV data download contact [email protected]
🥧 Chart 3: Causes of Infant Death in Nigeria — Proportional Breakdown
IHME GBD · NDHS · WHO 2023
🔗 Journalists may cite with attribution to enavecpharmacy.com · Data: IHME Global Burden of Disease 2022 · WHO/UNICEF 2023
💡
Section 7 — Key Takeaways
What the Data Tells Us
-
1Nigeria's infant mortality crisis is a numbers emergency — in absolute terms. 54.7 per 1,000 means Nigeria loses roughly 320,000 infants per year — the equivalent of wiping out the entire under-1 population of a city the size of Enugu every year. Most high-income countries lose fewer than 5 per 1,000. Source: World Bank · UNICEF · 2023.
-
2The neonatal period is the most critical window. 65% of Nigeria's infant deaths occur in the first 28 days of life — the neonatal period. Skilled birth attendance (currently only 43%), basic neonatal resuscitation, kangaroo mother care for preterm babies, and sepsis treatment with gentamicin and ampicillin could prevent the majority of these deaths. Source: NDHS 2023 · WHO.
-
3Vaccination gaps are costing infant lives. Nigeria's DTP3 (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) coverage is only 57% — meaning 43% of Nigerian infants are incompletely vaccinated against diseases that are entirely preventable. PCV13 coverage for pneumococcal disease is even lower. Closing the vaccination gap could prevent tens of thousands of infant deaths annually. Source: WHO/UNICEF Immunisation Data · 2023.
-
4Geography determines survival in Nigeria. An infant born in Lagos has roughly twice the survival odds of one born in Kebbi or Zamfara states. The North West zone — Nigeria's most populous — records IMRs exceeding 80 per 1,000. Targeted investment in the highest-burden states would yield the greatest lives saved per naira spent. Source: NDHS 2023.
-
5Nigeria will miss its SDG 3.2 target by decades at the current pace. SDG 3.2 requires an IMR of ≤12 per 1,000 by 2030. Nigeria's current rate is 54.7 and declining at roughly 1.5 points per year. At this pace, the target would not be reached until approximately 2057. Accelerated, targeted policy action — not incremental improvement — is required. Source: World Bank · UN SDG 2024 Progress Review.
❓
Section 8 — Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Nigeria's most recently reported infant mortality rate is 54.7 deaths per 1,000 live births (2023), as reported by the World Bank and UNICEF (2024 reporting cycle). This means roughly 1 in every 18 babies born in Nigeria dies before reaching their first birthday. The 2025 figure, when released, is expected to be marginally lower given the observed trend of approximately 1.5 points of decline per year. Source: World Bank Development Indicators · UNICEF State of the World's Children · 2024.
Applying Nigeria's IMR of 54.7 per 1,000 to its approximately 7.1 million annual live births (World Bank, 2023), Nigeria loses an estimated 300,000–320,000 infants every year before their first birthday. This represents roughly 10% of all global infant deaths — despite Nigeria accounting for only 3% of the world's population. Source: World Bank · UNICEF · 2023.
Infant mortality rate (IMR) measures deaths in children under 1 year old per 1,000 live births. Under-5 mortality rate (U5MR) measures deaths in children under 5 years per 1,000 live births — a broader measure that includes IMR. Nigeria's U5MR is approximately 107.2 per 1,000 (World Bank, 2023), meaning roughly 1 in 9 Nigerian children dies before age 5. The neonatal mortality rate (NMR) captures deaths in the first 28 days only — Nigeria's NMR is 35.4 per 1,000. Source: World Bank · UNICEF · 2023.
Nigeria's high IMR compared to peers like Ghana (31.2), Kenya (29.0) and South Africa (24.9) reflects several compounding factors: lower skilled birth attendance (43% vs Ghana's 87%); lower vaccine coverage (DTP3 at 57% vs Ghana's 98%); greater rural–urban inequality in healthcare access; higher open defecation rates driving diarrhoeal disease; and a persistently fragmented public health system that underinvests in primary and community care. Nigeria also has a much larger population, amplifying the absolute impact of structural gaps. Source: World Bank · WHO · NDHS 2023 · Ghana DHS 2022.
Nigeria's neonatal mortality rate (NMR) — deaths in the first 28 days of life — is approximately 35.4 per 1,000 live births (2023), according to WHO and UNICEF. This means the neonatal period accounts for roughly 65% of all infant deaths. The primary neonatal killers are birth asphyxia, preterm birth complications, and neonatal sepsis — all largely preventable with skilled birth attendants and basic neonatal care. Source: WHO · UNICEF Neonatal Mortality Data · 2023.
According to the 2023 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS), North West and North East geopolitical zones have the highest infant mortality rates, with some states exceeding 80 per 1,000 live births — including Kebbi, Zamfara, and Sokoto. South West states record the lowest rates, with Lagos estimated at 35–40 per 1,000 and Ogun and Ekiti lower still. This geographic divide reflects differences in skilled birth attendance, vaccination coverage, wealth distribution, and healthcare infrastructure. Source: NDHS 2023 · FMOH Nigeria.
Yes — but not fast enough. Nigeria's IMR has declined from approximately 120 per 1,000 in 1990 to 54.7 in 2023 — a 42% improvement over 33 years. However, the pace has slowed considerably since 2015 (from ~72 to 54.7 over 8 years). To meet the SDG 3.2 target of ≤12 per 1,000 by 2030, Nigeria would need to achieve a rate of decline that is approximately 5× faster than its current trajectory. Source: World Bank Time Series · UN SDG 2024 Progress Review.
Evidence from comparable countries identifies the highest-impact interventions: (1) Expanding skilled birth attendance — currently only 43%; (2) Closing the vaccination gap — DTP3 at 57%, PCV13 even lower; (3) Scaling community case management of pneumonia, diarrhoea, and malaria in remote areas; (4) Promoting exclusive breastfeeding — currently only 29% at 6 months; (5) Improving WASH access — clean water reduces diarrhoeal deaths dramatically. India reduced its IMR from 68 to 25.5 per 1,000 between 2000 and 2023 using these exact strategies at scale. Source: WHO · UNICEF · Lancet 2022 · NDHS 2023.
🔗
🔗 How to Cite This Page
APA Format
Enavec Pharmacy. (2025, April). What is Nigeria's infant mortality rate? [2025 data & trends]. Enavec Pharmacy Stats & Data. https://enavecpharmacy.com/what-is-nigerias-infant-mortality-rate-2025-data-trends/
MLA Format
Enavec Pharmacy. "What Is Nigeria's Infant Mortality Rate? [2025 Data & Trends]." Enavec Pharmacy, April 2025, https://enavecpharmacy.com/what-is-nigerias-infant-mortality-rate-2025-data-trends/
Plain Text
Enavec Pharmacy (April 2025). Nigeria Infant Mortality Rate Statistics 2025. Retrieved from https://enavecpharmacy.com/what-is-nigerias-infant-mortality-rate-2025-data-trends/
For permission to reproduce charts, contact [email protected]
📚 Primary Sources
All statistics carry a named source and year. No figures are estimated or fabricated.
1
World Bank Development Indicators — Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births), Nigeria · data.worldbank.org · 2024 reporting cycle
2
UNICEF State of the World's Children 2023 — Global and regional infant and child mortality data. unicef.org
3
Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2023 — National infant mortality, skilled birth attendance, vaccination coverage, breastfeeding. dhsprogram.com
4
WHO Child Mortality Estimates 2023 — Neonatal mortality rate, infant mortality rate, global comparisons. who.int/data/child-mortality
5
IHME Global Burden of Disease Study 2022 — Cause-of-death analysis for infants globally and in Nigeria. ghdx.healthdata.org
6
UN SDG Goal 3.2 Progress Review 2024 — SDG infant and under-5 mortality targets. sdgs.un.org
7
UNICEF/WHO Immunisation Coverage Data 2023 — DTP3, PCV13, measles vaccination rates by country. immunizationdata.who.int
8
FMOH Nigeria — National Strategic Health Development Plan III (2023) — Maternal and child health targets, skilled birth attendance policy.
9
Nigeria National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) 2023 — ITN coverage, malaria under-5 deaths, intervention data. nmcpnigeria.org
10
WHO/UNICEF JMP Water & Sanitation Report 2023 — Safe water and sanitation access by country. washdata.org
11
Lancet — Child and Adolescent Health Commission (2022) — Evidence review on high-impact interventions for infant mortality in LMICs. thelancet.com
12
UNICEF Nigeria Country Office — Child Survival Data 2024 — Nigeria-specific mortality estimates, programme coverage. unicef.org/nigeria
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