Homicide rate in Nigeria
Nigeria: Homicide rate was 8.65 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021. ▼ Falling
Homicide rate in Nigeria, 2000–2021
Source: World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for homicide rate in Nigeria is 8.65 deaths per 100,000 people, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 16.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, homicide rate in Nigeria peaked at 13.33 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 8.65 deaths per 100,000 people, in 2021.
Nigeria ranks 51st of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Homicide rate in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 13.33 deaths per 100,000 people | — |
| 2001 | 13.11 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 13.08 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 12.6 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 12.35 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 12.26 deaths per 100,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 11.78 deaths per 100,000 people | -3.9% |
| 2007 | 11.47 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 11.17 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 10.87 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 10.63 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 10.41 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 10.16 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 10.06 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 9.96 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 9.8 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 9.65 deaths per 100,000 people | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 9.43 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 9.23 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 9.05 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 8.83 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 8.65 deaths per 100,000 people | -2.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 8.65 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.97 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 8.65 deaths per 100,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.48 deaths per 100,000 people, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.2 deaths per 100,000 people | 10.87 deaths per 100,000 people | 13.33 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.84 deaths per 100,000 people | 9.05 deaths per 100,000 people | 10.63 deaths per 100,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.74 deaths per 100,000 people | 8.65 deaths per 100,000 people | 8.83 deaths per 100,000 people | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More social development data for Nigeria
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 123,848 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 478,150 (2025)
- Political Rights Rating 4 (2025)
- Electoral democracy 0 (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Political rights rating fh, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.002 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 478,150 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0.0005 units per person (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is homicide rate in Nigeria?
- Homicide rate in Nigeria was 8.65 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, according to World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest homicide rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 13.33 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest homicide rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.65 deaths per 100,000 people in 2021.
- How does Nigeria rank for homicide rate?
- Nigeria ranks 51st out of 194 countries with data for 2021.
- Is homicide rate rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Homicide rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Estimated number of deaths from interpersonal violence in both sexes, per 100,000 people.