A new United Nations report for 2025 has revealed that Nigeria now ranks lowest in the world for life expectancy, averaging just 54.9 years.
The UN global health data shows that Nigerian men live an average of 54.3 years while women reach 54.9, both far below Africa’s continental average and well beneath the global benchmark of 73.7 years.
Even nations long troubled by instability, such as Chad and the Central African Republic, now record higher life expectancies of 55.2 and 57.7 years respectively.
Experts attribute Nigeria’s alarming ranking to chronic underinvestment in healthcare, a high burden of infectious and non-communicable diseases, limited access to quality medical services, and frequent strikes by health professionals. High maternal and infant deaths, poor healthcare access, and insecurity in some regions continue to severely affect life expectancy in the country.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the main causes of death globally include cancer, heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, and mental health conditions, many of which are growing concerns within Nigeria’s overstretched health system.
Widespread poverty, environmental pollution, and social instability further compound these challenges, deepening inequality and worsening health outcomes.
The UN warns that Nigeria’s record-low life expectancy is not merely a health statistic but a reflection of systemic socio-economic distress that threatens long-term stability and development.
As global attention turns toward reducing health disparities, Nigeria’s ranking stands as a powerful call for urgent reform, to rebuild healthcare infrastructure, improve access, and give citizens a fair chance at living longer, healthier lives.
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