Nigeria’s life expectancy falls to 54.9 years, ranking the lowest globally—UN Report
Maureen Aguta
Nigeria has been ranked as the country with the lowest life expectancy in the world, with an average lifespan of 54.9 years, according to the latest United Nations World Population Prospects (UNWPP) data.
The figures show life expectancy for men in Nigeria at 54.3 years, while women average 54.9 years.
This places Nigeria at the bottom among a list of 25 countries with the shortest life expectancies, just below Chad with 55.2 years, and behind South Sudan and the Central African Republic, both at about 57.7 years.
Experts attribute Nigeria’s poor ranking to the country’s high disease burden, poor access to healthcare, and persistently high maternal and infant mortality rates.
Insecurity and poverty in several regions have also compounded the difficulty of accessing health services, particularly for vulnerable populations.
Global health agencies, including the World Health Organisation, identify cancers, cardiovascular diseases, chronic lung conditions, diabetes, and mental health illnesses among the top causes of death and disability in Nigeria.
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The Federal Ministry of Health has acknowledged the severity of the situation and pledged to expand universal health coverage, improve public health infrastructure, and address gaps in healthcare delivery.
A medical expert, Dr. Raymond Kuti, however, questioned the accuracy of the report, arguing that the data may underestimate Nigeria’s true life expectancy due to poor record-keeping and limited population data.
A previous report, Nigeria’s 2024 State of the Nation Health Report, placed the country’s life expectancy at 54.6 years, still far below the global average of about 73.3 years.
The slight difference between men and women is consistent with global trends showing women generally living longer.
Nigeria’s new ranking underscores long-standing systemic challenges in the nation’s health sector, including underinvestment, high mortality rates, and inadequate data systems.
Health experts and international partners have called for urgent policy reforms and sustained investment in public health to reverse the trend.