Life in Nigeria: Every Number That Shapes It (1800–2100)
Updated September 2026 · methodology
A child born in Nigeria in the 2020s can expect to live 54.7 years on an average income of 5,000 international dollars. (UN WPP / World Bank, compiled by MYRIAD)
To gaze at the statistics of Nigeria is to witness the quiet architecture of human survival. These figures represent the intimate shift in a household where child mortality has fallen from 420.98 to 113.8 per 1,000 births, and extreme poverty has narrowed from 80.23 to 39 %. It is a reality defined by the steady expansion of opportunity, where literacy deepens from 1.29 to 6.7 years of schooling, transforming the collective potential of a people.
The national arc reveals a profound transition from rural roots to a modern, urbanized existence. In the 1950s, only 12.8 % of the population lived in cities; today, that number is 52 %. This movement is mirrored in the infrastructure of progress, as electricity at home rose from 3.27 to 55 % and internet access climbed from 0 to 36 %. While annual working hours shifted from 2,102 to 1,900 hours/year, the physical presence of the people evolved, with average male height edging from 165 to 167 cm.
For a child born in Nigeria in the 2020s, life is shaped by a different lottery than their ancestors. Life expectancy at birth, once 33.41, now stands at 54.7 years, with an average income of 5,000 international dollars. As children per woman decreased from 7.22 to 5.31 births and the homicide rate moved from 11.35 to 10 per 100,000, the landscape of risk and reward has fundamentally shifted.
Use our tool to compare your own parallel life in Nigeria.
🇳🇬 Every dimension below links to the full three-century series for Nigeria — and to the same series for every other country, so you can see exactly where the birth lottery placed its people.
The numbers today vs 1950
| Dimension | 1950s | 2020s | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life Expectancy at Birth | 33.41 | 54.7 years | history → |
| Income per Person (GDP per capita, PPP) | 1,789 | 5,000 intl-$ | history → |
| Child Mortality (under 5) | 420.98 | 113.8 per 1,000 births | history → |
| Years of Schooling | 1.29 | 6.7 years | history → |
| Children per Woman | 7.22 | 5.31 births | history → |
| Living in Cities | 12.8 | 52 % | history → |
| Internet Access | 0 | 36 % | history → |
| Electricity at Home | 3.27 | 55 % | history → |
| Homicide Rate | 11.35 | 10 per 100,000 | history → |
| Annual Working Hours | 2,102 | 1,900 hours/year | history → |
| Average Male Height | 165 | 167 cm | history → |
| Extreme Poverty | 80.23 | 39 % | history → |
See your parallel life in Nigeria →
Questions people ask
What is life expectancy in Nigeria?
54.7 years in the 2020s (UN WPP / World Bank data compiled by MYRIAD).
Is Nigeria a good place to be born, statistically?
MYRIAD ranks every country by a composite of longevity, income, child survival, education and safety for each birth decade — enter your details on the homepage to see where Nigeria lands for your cohort.