Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Nigeria, you would:
Health
live 24.3 years longer
In Nigeria, the average life expectancy is 55 years (54 years for men, 55 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 51.8 times more spent on your healthcare
Nigeria spends $260 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 9.7 times more doctors per person
Nigeria has 3.8 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 2.3 times more access to essential health services
Nigeria scores 38 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 3.0 times more likely to be obese
In Nigeria, 13.7% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 3.1 times more likely to die by suicide
Nigeria has a suicide rate of 5.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 73.5 times more money
Nigeria has a GDP per capita of $1,224 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 37.3% more likely to be unemployed
In Nigeria, 3.1% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 98.3% less likely to die during childbirth
In Nigeria, approximately 993.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 92.1% less likely to die during infancy
In Nigeria, approximately 69.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 67.4% fewer children
In Nigeria, there are approximately 32.5 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 63.4% more likely to have access to electricity
In Nigeria, approximately 61% of people have electricity access (85% in urban areas, and 33% in rural areas) as of 2023. In United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 2.3 times more likely to have internet access
In Nigeria, approximately 41.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
be 21.6% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Nigeria, approximately 82% of people have access to drinking water (95% in urban areas, and 67% in rural areas) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 16.9 times more on education
Nigeria spends 0.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2023. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 4.0 times more on healthcare
Nigeria spends 4.2% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 23.4 times more coastline
Nigeria has a total of 853 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 63.4% less likely to be murdered
Nigeria has a homicide rate of 15.8 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 17.4% less likely to die in a road accident
In Nigeria, road accidents kill 17.2 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 20.2% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Nigeria, 79% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In United States, that number is 63% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 485.8 times more home broadband
Nigeria has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 89.1 times more electricity
Nigeria uses 144 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 2.9 times more strain on fresh water
Nigeria withdraws 10% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 81.8% less likely to die from air pollution
In Nigeria, air pollution causes 77.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 23.9 times more CO2
Nigeria emits 0.6 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Nigeria vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Nigeria? See an in-depth size comparison.