Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Nigeria
Nigeria: Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age was 28.8 % in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Nigeria, 2003–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Nigeria stood at 28.8 %.
The figure is down 16.3% on the previous year and up 70.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Nigeria peaked at 34.4 % in 2021 and was at its lowest, 11.5 %, in 2007.
That places Nigeria 36th out of 43 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 15.6 % | — |
| 2007 | 11.5 % | -26.3% |
| 2008 | 12.5 % | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 14.7 % | +17.6% |
| 2013 | 16.9 % | +15.0% |
| 2016 | 23.3 % | +37.9% |
| 2018 | 28.7 % | +23.2% |
| 2021 | 34.4 % | +19.9% |
| 2024 | 28.8 % | -16.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 28.8 % is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 44.9 %, 64% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 28.8 % is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 53.1 %, 54% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.2 % | 11.5 % | 15.6 % | 3 |
| 2010s | 20.9 % | 14.7 % | 28.7 % | 4 |
| 2020s | 31.6 % | 28.8 % | 34.4 % | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More agriculture & rural data for Nigeria
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 2.38 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.2298 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 281.32 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -0.1218 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3622 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 23.0% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 23.0% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.4% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Nigeria?
- Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age in Nigeria was 28.8 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 34.4 % in 2021.
- What is the lowest prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5 % in 2007.
- How does Nigeria rank for prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age?
- Nigeria ranks 36th out of 43 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 70.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0-5 months of age (percent) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.