Life Expectancy in Nigeria (2024): Men 54.3, Women 54.9

Life expectancy in Nigeria since 1960

Women
Men

Since 1960, life expectancy in Nigeria has risen by 17.4 years, from 37.2 to 54.6. Women live 0.6 years longer than men (54.9 vs 54.3).

Expected age at death in Nigeria by age

Life expectancy at birth includes deaths in childhood. Once people reach adulthood they can expect to live longer — here is the average expected age at death for people who have already reached each age:

Current age	Birth	20	40	60	80
Men	54.3	61.9	63.5	68.9	81.9
Women	54.9	62.6	64.1	69.3	82.0

Birth: World Bank. Other ages: our survival model calibrated to Nigeria’s figures (method).

How people die in Nigeria

Chronic diseases: 25.2%
Infections, maternal & nutritional: 67.7%
Injuries: 7.1%

In 2019, 25% of deaths in Nigeria were caused by chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes (world: 74%). A Nigeria man has a 19% chance and a woman 17% of dying of one of these diseases between the ages of 30 and 70 (world: 21% and 16%). Road traffic accidents kill 20.7 people per 100,000 each year (world: 16.7).

See which causes of death are most likely for you →

Child mortality

Out of every 1,000 babies born in Nigeria, about 115.6 die before their fifth birthday (world: 37.4). This is one of the main reasons life expectancy at birth differs so much between countries.

Nigeria compared with its region

Nigeria is in the World Bank’s Sub-Saharan Africa region, where the average life expectancy is 64.8 years. It ranks #48 of 48 countries there.

#	Country	Overall	Men	Women
40	Benin	61.0	59.5	62.4
41	Guinea	60.9	59.7	62.1
42	Mali	60.7	59.3	62.2
43	Somalia, Fed. Rep.	59.0	56.5	61.6
44	Lesotho	57.8	55.0	60.4
45	Central African Republic	57.7	55.5	59.6
46	South Sudan	57.7	54.8	60.7
47	Chad	55.2	53.4	57.2
48	Nigeria	54.6	54.3	54.9

See all 217 countries ranked →

Frequently asked questions

What is the life expectancy in Nigeria?

54.6 years in 2024: 54.3 for men and 54.9 for women, according to the World Bank.

Do women live longer than men in Nigeria?

Yes. Women in Nigeria live about 0.6 years longer than men. Worldwide the gap is 4.9 years in favour of women.

How does Nigeria rank for life expectancy?

Nigeria ranks #217 out of 217 countries and territories with data. That is 18.9 years below the world average of 73.5.

What is the average age of death in Nigeria?

Life expectancy at birth (54.6) is pulled down by deaths in childhood. Adults live longer: a 40-year-old man in Nigeria can expect to live to about 63.5, and a 40-year-old woman to about 64.1.

Sources

World Bank, World Development Indicators: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.MA.IN, SP.DYN.LE00.FE.IN), under-5 mortality (SH.DYN.MORT), causes of death (SH.DTH.NCOM.ZS, SH.DTH.INJR.ZS), mortality from major chronic diseases (SH.DYN.NCOM.MA.ZS, SH.DYN.NCOM.FE.ZS) and road traffic deaths (SH.STA.TRAF.P5). Licensed under CC BY 4.0. Link

Data updated October 25, 2026.