Homicide Rate in Nigeria: 1800 to Today (and Tomorrow)

Updated October 2026 · ⬇ download this dataset (CSV) · methodology

In the 2020s, homicide rate in Nigeria stands at 10 per 100,000 — ranking #137 of 157 countries. In 1900 it was 13.33 per 100,000. (Source: UNODC / World Bank, compiled by MYRIAD)

A statistic is never just a number; it is the silent echo of a life ended prematurely. In the 2020s, homicide rate in Nigeria stands at 10 per 100,000 — ranking #137 of 157 countries. This figure captures the intentional homicides per 100,000 people per year, yet it remains mute on the personal grief and the complex lived experiences behind each entry. To analyze this data is to measure the shifting frequency of loss, viewing the human cost of history through a lens of cold, measured accumulation.

The narrative of violence has shifted across three centuries, tracing a long, uneven transition. The 1800s estimate of 15.28 trended downward through the 1900s estimate of 13.33. This contraction of lethal conflict continued through the 1950s, when the rate reached 11.35, eventually stabilizing in the 2020s at 10. Looking forward, projections suggest a continued decline, with the 2050s projection at 8.57 and the 2100s projection reaching 6.63, marking a gradual refinement of the demographic reality.

For an individual, the probability of safety has evolved alongside the nation. A child born in the 1840s estimate faced a rate of 14.5, while someone arriving in the 1990s navigated a rate of 10.42. As you consider these trends, the future offers a different baseline, with the 2030s projection sitting at 9.5 and the 2080s projection at 7.35. These figures frame how the collective experience of risk changes over time compared to global patterns.

Use our tools to compare your life against these unfolding patterns on MYRIAD.

🇳🇬 Intentional homicides per 100,000 people per year. For Nigeria, the story across three centuries is below — every value is a statistical fact about the lives actually lived there.

Decade by decade

DecadeHomicide Rate (per 100,000)
1800s estimate15.28
1810s estimate15.08
1820s estimate14.89
1830s estimate14.69
1840s estimate14.5
1850s estimate14.3
1860s estimate14.11
1870s estimate13.91
1880s estimate13.72
1890s estimate13.52
1900s estimate13.33
1910s estimate12.93
1920s estimate12.54
1930s estimate12.14
1940s estimate11.75
1950s11.35
1960s11.03
1970s10.71
1980s10.39
1990s10.42
2000s10.46
2010s10.23
2020s10
2030s projection9.5
2040s projection9.03
2050s projection8.57
2060s projection8.15
2070s projection7.74
2080s projection7.35
2090s projection6.98
2100s projection6.63

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Questions people ask

What is the Homicide Rate in Nigeria today?

10 per 100,000 in the 2020s (UNODC / World Bank).

How much did Homicide Rate in Nigeria change since 1950?

From 11.35 to 10 per 100,000 — a change of about -12%.

Where does Nigeria rank worldwide?

#137 of 157 countries covered by MYRIAD in the 2020s.

Where does YOUR life rank? →