Nigeria life expectancy by year, 1990 to 2024

Nigeria: 54.6 years in 2024. Life expectancy peaked at 54.6 years in 2024 in this 1990–2024 series.

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What the data shows

Nigeria: 45.7 years in 1990, 54.6 years in 2024. Its low point was 45.5 years in 1991.
Chad: 45.1 years in 1990, 55.2 years in 2024.
Central African Republic: 49.9 years in 1990, 57.7 years in 2024. Its low point was 14.7 years in 2009.
South Sudan: 28.6 years in 1990, 57.7 years in 2024 (2.0× higher). It peaked at 58.3 years in 2013.

About this chart

Nigeria's life expectancy rose from 45.7 years in 1990 to 54.6 years in 2024. The highest estimate in this period was 54.6 years, reached in 2024. The displayed annual series runs from 1990 through 2024; its lowest value was 45.5 years in 1991. The preceding annual observation, for 2023, was 54.5 years.

Life expectancy at birth, both sexes: the years a newborn would live if the mortality rates for that year persisted. This is a period estimate, not a forecast for an individual. In 2024, the comparison lines show Chad (55.2 years), Central African Republic (57.7 years) and South Sudan (57.7 years). 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.LE00.IN), years. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Life expectancy at birth, both sexes: the years a newborn would live if the mortality rates for that year persisted. This is a period estimate, not a forecast for an individual. Peers are selected by proximity to the country's latest value among countries with over one million people and a continuous common series.

Nigeria: life expectancy, years, 1990 to 2024; three nearest peers, 1990–2024
Date	🇳🇬 Nigeria	🇹🇩 Chad	🇨🇫 Central African Republic	🇸🇸 South Sudan
1990	45.7 years	45.1 years	49.9 years	28.6 years
1991	45.5 years	46.6 years	49.6 years	29.2 years
1992	45.6 years	46.8 years	49.2 years	21.9 years
1993	45.8 years	47.0 years	48.9 years	22.3 years
1994	45.7 years	47.1 years	48.5 years	44.9 years
1995	45.9 years	47.5 years	48.1 years	31.5 years
1996	45.8 years	47.6 years	47.7 years	32.1 years
1997	46.0 years	47.8 years	47.3 years	33.1 years
1998	46.1 years	47.8 years	47.1 years	19.0 years
1999	46.6 years	47.9 years	46.9 years	44.5 years
2000	47.1 years	47.9 years	46.6 years	47.6 years
2001	47.5 years	48.3 years	46.7 years	48.5 years
2002	48.0 years	48.4 years	46.8 years	49.4 years
2003	48.6 years	48.6 years	47.3 years	52.3 years
2004	49.1 years	48.7 years	47.7 years	53.1 years
2005	49.5 years	48.9 years	48.2 years	54.0 years
2006	49.9 years	48.7 years	48.7 years	54.7 years
2007	50.4 years	49.2 years	49.3 years	55.4 years
2008	50.7 years	49.5 years	49.9 years	56.3 years
2009	51.1 years	49.8 years	14.7 years	56.8 years
2010	51.3 years	50.1 years	46.9 years	57.5 years
2011	51.5 years	50.4 years	50.1 years	57.7 years
2012	51.7 years	50.8 years	51.3 years	58.2 years
2013	51.8 years	51.1 years	49.5 years	58.3 years
2014	51.9 years	51.1 years	40.3 years	45.6 years
2015	51.9 years	51.3 years	51.9 years	39.8 years
2016	52.2 years	51.6 years	51.0 years	36.7 years
2017	52.4 years	51.9 years	45.2 years	35.4 years
2018	52.7 years	52.4 years	52.3 years	51.9 years
2019	53.0 years	53.0 years	31.5 years	58.1 years
2020	53.1 years	53.1 years	50.6 years	57.6 years
2021	53.5 years	53.1 years	40.3 years	57.0 years
2022	54.1 years	54.5 years	18.8 years	57.2 years
2023	54.5 years	55.1 years	57.4 years	57.6 years
2024	54.6 years	55.2 years	57.7 years	57.7 years

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Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Nigeria?

Life expectancy at birth in Nigeria was 54.6 years in 2024, according to the World Bank series for both sexes. This is a period estimate using that year's mortality rates.

When was Nigeria's life expectancy highest in this series?

The highest displayed value was 54.6 years in 2024. 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.LE00.IN), years. Retrieved November 5, 2026. Life expectancy at birth, both sexes: the years a newborn would live if the mortality rates for that year persisted. This is a period estimate, not a forecast for an individual. 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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