Nigeria fertility rate by year, 1990 to 2024
Nigeria: 4.38 births per woman in 2024. Fertility rate peaked at 6.46 births per woman in 1990 in this 1990–2024 series.
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What the data shows
- Nigeria: 6.46 in 1990, 4.38 in 2024.
- Benin: 6.74 in 1990, 4.48 in 2024 (34% lower).
- Yemen: 8.61 in 1990, 4.50 in 2024 (48% lower).
- Sudan: 6.07 in 1990, 4.26 in 2024.
About this chart
Nigeria's fertility rate fell from 6.46 births per woman in 1990 to 4.38 births per woman in 2024. The period's high was 6.46 births per woman in 1990, while the low was 4.38 births per woman in 2024. The largest annual decrease in this window was 0.16 births per woman in 2016. The measure describes the fertility pattern of each year, rather than the eventual number of children in a completed family.
Total fertility rate is the number of children a woman would have under that year's age-specific fertility rates. It is not the crude birth rate or the observed completed family size of a generation. In 2024, the comparison lines show Benin (4.48 births per woman), Yemen (4.50 births per woman) and Sudan (4.26 births per woman). These peers have the closest latest values among reporting countries with over one million people and a continuous common history; they are not selected by geography.
The data
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.TFRT.IN), births per woman. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Total fertility rate is the number of children a woman would have under that year's age-specific fertility rates. It is not the crude birth rate or the observed completed family size of a generation. Peers are selected by proximity to the country's latest value among countries with over one million people and a continuous common series.
| Date | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | 🇧🇯 Benin | 🇾🇪 Yemen | 🇸🇩 Sudan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6.46 | 6.74 | 8.61 | 6.07 |
| 1991 | 6.43 | 6.67 | 8.46 | 6.05 |
| 1992 | 6.39 | 6.59 | 8.27 | 6.02 |
| 1993 | 6.35 | 6.51 | 8.05 | 5.97 |
| 1994 | 6.32 | 6.42 | 7.79 | 5.91 |
| 1995 | 6.27 | 6.33 | 7.53 | 5.86 |
| 1996 | 6.22 | 6.28 | 7.00 | 5.79 |
| 1997 | 6.14 | 6.23 | 6.82 | 5.72 |
| 1998 | 6.07 | 6.14 | 6.64 | 5.65 |
| 1999 | 6.08 | 6.03 | 6.49 | 5.62 |
| 2000 | 6.12 | 5.94 | 6.32 | 5.60 |
| 2001 | 6.13 | 5.85 | 6.14 | 5.56 |
| 2002 | 6.12 | 5.79 | 5.97 | 5.53 |
| 2003 | 6.10 | 5.76 | 5.84 | 5.49 |
| 2004 | 6.09 | 5.72 | 5.71 | 5.46 |
| 2005 | 6.06 | 5.69 | 5.56 | 5.40 |
| 2006 | 6.05 | 5.67 | 5.41 | 5.33 |
| 2007 | 6.03 | 5.63 | 5.26 | 5.27 |
| 2008 | 6.02 | 5.55 | 5.11 | 5.21 |
| 2009 | 5.99 | 5.49 | 5.00 | 5.17 |
| 2010 | 5.95 | 5.45 | 4.81 | 5.14 |
| 2011 | 5.89 | 5.44 | 4.63 | 5.09 |
| 2012 | 5.80 | 5.43 | 4.63 | 5.03 |
| 2013 | 5.69 | 5.41 | 4.62 | 4.96 |
| 2014 | 5.62 | 5.37 | 4.62 | 4.91 |
| 2015 | 5.50 | 5.32 | 4.62 | 4.90 |
| 2016 | 5.34 | 5.25 | 4.61 | 4.83 |
| 2017 | 5.18 | 5.16 | 4.61 | 4.76 |
| 2018 | 5.02 | 5.03 | 4.61 | 4.68 |
| 2019 | 4.86 | 4.90 | 4.60 | 4.62 |
| 2020 | 4.70 | 4.79 | 4.60 | 4.54 |
| 2021 | 4.64 | 4.71 | 4.60 | 4.46 |
| 2022 | 4.55 | 4.63 | 4.59 | 4.38 |
| 2023 | 4.48 | 4.56 | 4.59 | 4.32 |
| 2024 | 4.38 | 4.48 | 4.50 | 4.26 |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the fertility rate in Nigeria?
Nigeria's total fertility rate was 4.38 births per woman in 2024. The World Bank measure uses that year's age-specific fertility rates and is distinct from births per resident.
When was Nigeria's fertility rate highest in this series?
The highest displayed value was 6.46 births per woman in 1990. This comparison covers 1990 through 2024; it is not a claim about years outside the available series.
Why are these countries compared with Nigeria?
The comparison selects three countries with the closest 2024 values, among countries with over one million people and at least fifteen consecutive annual observations in common. The matching is based on the indicator level, not economic structure or geographic proximity.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank, World Development Indicators (SP.DYN.TFRT.IN), births per woman. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Total fertility rate is the number of children a woman would have under that year's age-specific fertility rates. It is not the crude birth rate or the observed completed family size of a generation. Peers are selected by proximity to the country's latest value among countries with over one million people and a continuous common series. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.
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