Demographic and Health Survey 2024
Nigeria, 2023 - 2024
Get MicrodataIdentification
NGA_2024_DHS_v01_M
Demographic and Health Survey 2024
DHS/ NDHS 2024
| Name | Country code |
|---|---|
| Nigeria | NGA |
Demographic and Health Survey [hh/dhs]
The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2024 NDHS) is the seventh DHS survey conducted in Nigeria, following those implemented in 1990, 1999, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018. A nationally representative sample of 42,000 households from 1,400 primary sampling units (PSUs) were selected. All women age 15–49 who were usual members of the selected households or who spent the night before the survey in the selected households were eligible for individual interviews.
The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2024 NDHS) was implemented by the National Population Commission (NPC) under the aegis of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW). Data collection was conducted from 1 December 2023 to 7 May 2024.
The primary objective of the 2024 NDHS is to provide up-to-date estimates of basic demographic and health indicators. Specifically, the survey collected information on fertility and contraceptive use; maternal and child health; nutrition; childhood mortality; women’s empowerment; domestic violence; female genital mutilation (FGM); fistula; disability; knowledge, awareness, and behavior regarding malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs); and other health-related issues.
The information collected through the 2024 NDHS is intended to assist policymakers and programme managers in evaluating and designing programmes and strategies for improving the health of Nigeria’s population. The survey also provides indicators relevant to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for Nigeria.
Sample survey data [ssd]
- Household
- Individual
- Children age 0-5
- Woman age 15-49
- Man age 15 to 59
Version
The data dictionary was generated from hierarchical data that was downloaded from the The DHS Program website (http://dhsprogram.com).
- Contract Phase: DHS-8
- Recode Structure: DHS-8
Scope
The 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey covered the following topics:
HOUSEHOLD
- Identification
- Usual members and visitors in the selected households
- Background information on each person listed, such as relationship to head of the household, age, sex, marital status, survivorship and residence of biological parents, educational attainment, birth registration, seeing difficulty, hearing difficulty, and other functional difficulties
- Characteristics of the household's dwelling unit, such as the source of drinking water, type of toilet facilities and where it is located, type of fuel used for cooking, main source of energy for heater and light, number of rooms, ownership of livestock, possessions of durable goods, and main material for the floor, roof and walls of the dwelling.
- Mosquito nets
- Food insecurity
INDIVIDUAL WOMAN
- Identification
- Background characteristics (including age, education, and media exposure)
- Pregnancy history and child mortality
- Knowledge, use, and source of family planning methods
- Antenatal, delivery, and postnatal care
- Vaccinations and childhood illnesses
- Breastfeeding and infant feeding practices
- Marriage and sexual activity
- Fertility preferences (including desire for more children and ideal number of children)
- Women’s work and husbands’ background characteristics
- Knowledge, awareness, and behavior regarding HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Malaria knowledge and beliefs
- Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to other health issues
- Female genital mutilation
- Fistula
- Domestic violence
MAN
- Identification
- Background characteristics
- Reproduction
- Family planning
- Marriage and sexual activity
- Fertility preferences (including desire for more children and ideal number of children)
- Employment and gender roles
- Knowledge, awareness, and behavior regarding HIV and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
- Malaria knowledge and beliefs
- Knowledge, attitudes, and behavior related to other health issues
BIOMARKER
- Identification
- Weight, height, and hemoglobin measurement for children age 0-4
- Weight, height, and hemoglobin measurement for women age 15-49
FIELDWORKER
- Background information on each fieldworkers
Coverage
National coverage
The survey covered all de jure household members (usual residents), all women aged 15-49, all men age 15-59, and all children aged 0-4 resident in the household.
Producers and sponsors
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| National Population Commission | Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoHSW) |
| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| ICF | The DHS Program | Provided technical assistance through The DHS Program |
| Name | Abbreviation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Government of Nigeria | Govt. NGA | Funding the study |
| United States Agency for International Development | USAID | Funding the study |
| United Nations Population Fund | UNFPA | Funding the study |
| United Nations Children’s Fund | UNICEF | Funding the study |
| Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria | GF | Funding the study |
| Gates Foundation | Funding the study |
Sampling
The sample for the 2024 NDHS was designed to yield representative results for the country as a whole, for urban and rural areas separately, for all six zones, and for the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. The sampling frame excluded institutional populations such as persons in hotels, barracks, and prisons. The 2024 NDHS employed a stratified two-stage sample design. Stratification was achieved by separating each of the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory into urban and rural areas. In total, 74 sampling strata were identified. Samples were selected independently in every stratum via a two-stage selection. The first stage involved selecting sample points (clusters) consisting of EAs. EAs were drawn with probability proportional to their size within each sampling stratum. A total of 1,400 clusters were selected, 701 in urban areas and 699 in rural areas.
The second stage involved systematic sampling of households. A household listing operation was undertaken in all of the selected clusters, and a fixed number of 30 households per cluster were selected through an equal probability systematic selection process, for a total sample size of approximately 42,000 households. For each household, Global Positioning System (GPS) data were collected at the time of listing and during interviews.
For further details on sample design, see APPENDIX A of the final report.
A total of 41,115 households were selected for the NDHS sample, of which 40,314 were found to be occupied. Of the occupied households, 40,047 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 99%. In the interviewed households, 39,553 women age 15–49 were identified as eligible for individual interviews. Interviews were completed with 39,050 women, yielding a response rate of 99%. In the subsample of households selected for the men’s survey, 12,426 men age 15–59 were identified as eligible for individual interviews and 12,204 were successfully interviewed, yielding a response rate of 98%.
A spreadsheet containing all sampling parameters and selection probabilities was prepared to facilitate the calculation of the design weights. Design weights were adjusted for household nonresponse and for individual nonresponse to obtain the sampling weights for households and for women and men, respectively. All nonresponse adjustments were done at the sampling stratum level. The differences between the household sampling weights and the individual sampling weights were introduced by individual nonresponse. The final sampling weights were normalized so that the total number of unweighted cases was equal to the total number of weighted cases at the national level for both household weights and individual weights. Sampling weights for the domestic violence module were calculated in relation to the number of eligible respondents in the households. A total of four sets of weights were calculated:
- one set for all households selected for the survey
- one set for the women’s individual survey
- one set for the men’s individual survey
- one set for the domestic violence module
It is important to note that normalized weights are relative weights that are valid for estimating means, proportions, and ratios but not valid for estimating population totals and for pooled data. Also, the number of weighted cases using the normalized weight has no direct relation with survey precision because it is relative, especially for oversampled areas, where the number of weighted cases is much smaller than the number of unweighted cases and only the latter are directly related to survey precision.
Sampling errors for key indicators were calculated for the national sample, for urban and rural areas separately, for each of the six geographical zones, and for each of the 37 states.
For further details on sample weights, see APPENDIX A.4 of the final report.
Survey instrument
Four questionnaires were used in the 2024 NDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Woman’s Questionnaire, the Man’s Questionnaire, and the Biomarker Questionnaire. The questionnaires, based on The DHS Program’s model questionnaires, were adapted to reflect the population and health issues relevant to Nigeria. Input was solicited from various stakeholders representing government ministries and agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and international donors. In addition, a self-administered Fieldworker Questionnaire collected information about the survey’s fieldworkers.
Data collection
| Start | End |
|---|---|
| 2023-12-01 | 2024-05-07 |
- Face-to-face computer-assisted interviews [capi]
| Name | Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| National Population Commission | NPC |
Data collection was carried out by 37 field teams, each consisting of one team supervisor, one CAPI supervisor, three female interviewers, two male interviewers, two biomarker technicians, and one driver. Data collection took place over a 5-month period from 1 December 2023 to 7 May 2024 across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. Electronic data files containing interview results were transferred from each interviewer’s tablet to the team supervisor’s tablet each day and then were transferred by the supervisor to the central office every day via a secure data transfer system. Thirty-two state coordinators directed by NPC supervised and monitored the quality of fieldwork activities. Weekly virtual meetings were held with the ICF survey management team to review the field check tables, discuss challenges and mitigation plans, and update progress.
Data processing
The survey data were collected using tablet computers running the Android operating system and CSPro software, jointly developed by the United States Census Bureau, ICF, and Serpro S.A. English, Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo questionnaires were used for collecting data via CAPI. The CAPI programmes accepted only valid responses, automatically performed checks on ranges of values, skipped to the appropriate question based on the responses given, and checked the consistency of the data collected. Answers to the survey questions were entered into the tablets by each interviewer. Supervisors downloaded interview data to their tablet, checked the data for completeness, and monitored fieldwork progress.
Each day, after completion of interviews, field supervisors submitted data to the central server. Data were sent to the central office via secure internet data transfer. The data processing managers monitored the quality of the data received and downloaded data files for completed clusters into the system. ICF provided the CSPro software for data processing and offered technical assistance in the preparation of the data capture, data management, and data editing programmes. Secondary editing was conducted simultaneously with data collection. All technical support for data processing and use of the tablets was provided by ICF.
Data appraisal
The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: non-sampling errors and sampling errors. Non-sampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the 2024 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (2024 NDHS) to minimize this type of error, non-sampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.
Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the 2024 NDHS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and sample size. Each of these samples would yield results that differ somewhat from the results of the actual sample selected. Sampling errors are a measure of the variability among all possible samples. Although the degree of variability is not known exactly, it can be estimated from the survey results.
Sampling error is usually measured in terms of the standard error for a particular statistic (mean, percentage, etc.), which is the square root of the variance. The standard error can be used to calculate confidence intervals within which the true value for the population can reasonably be assumed to fall. For example, for any given statistic calculated from a sample survey, the value of that statistic will fall within a range of plus and minus two times the standard error of that statistic in 95% of all possible samples of identical size and design.
If the sample of respondents had been selected by simple random sampling, it would have been possible to use straightforward formulas for calculating sampling errors. However, the 2024 NDHS sample was the result of a multistage stratified cluster design, and, consequently, it was necessary to use more complex formulas. Sampling errors are computed using SAS programmes developed by ICF. These programmes use the Taylor linearization method to estimate variances for survey estimates that are means, medians, proportions, or ratios. The Jackknife repeated replication method is used for variance estimation of more complex statistics such as fertility rates and mortality rates.
A more detailed description of estimates of sampling errors are presented in APPENDIX B of the survey report.
Data Quality Tables
- Household age distribution
- Age distribution of eligible and interviewed women
- Age distribution of eligible and interviewed men
- Age displacement at ages 14/15
- Age displacement at ages 49/50
- Pregnancy outcomes by years preceding the survey
- Completeness of reporting
- Standardization exercise results from anthropometry training
- Height and weight data completeness and quality for children
- Height measurements from random subsample of measured children
- Interference in height and weight measurements of children
- Interference in height and weight measurements of women
- Heaping in anthropometric measurements for children (digit preference)
- Observation of mosquito nets
- Observation of handwashing facility
- School attendance by single year of age
- Vaccination cards photographed
- Number of enumeration areas completed by month and zone
- Prevalence of anaemia in children based on 2011 WHO guidelines
- Prevalence of anaemia in women based on 2011 WHO guidelines
See details of the data quality tables in Appendix C of the final report.
Data Access
| Name | URL |
|---|---|
| The DHS Program | https://dhsprogram.com |
Request Dataset Access
The following applies to DHS, MIS, AIS and SPA survey datasets (Surveys, GPS, and HIV).
To request dataset access, you must first be a registered user of the website. You must then create a new research project request. The request must include a project title and a description of the analysis you propose to perform with the data.
The requested data should only be used for the purpose of the research or study. To request the same or different data for another purpose, a new research project request should be submitted. The DHS Program will normally review all data requests within 24 hours (Monday - Friday) and provide notification if access has been granted or additional project information is needed before access can be granted.
DATASET ACCESS APPROVAL PROCESS
Access to DHS, MIS, AIS and SPA survey datasets (Surveys, HIV, and GPS) is requested and granted by country. This means that when approved, full access is granted to all unrestricted survey datasets for that country. Access to HIV and GIS datasets requires an online acknowledgment of the conditions of use.
Required Information
A dataset request must include contact information, a research project title, and a description of the analysis you propose to perform with the data.
Restricted Datasets
A few datasets are restricted and these are noted. Access to restricted datasets is requested online as with other datasets. An additional consent form is required for some datasets, and the form will be emailed to you upon authorization of your account. For other restricted surveys, permission must be granted by the appropriate implementing organizations, before The DHS Program can grant access. You will be emailed the information for contacting the implementing organizations. A few restricted surveys are authorized directly within The DHS Program, upon receipt of an email request.
When The DHS Program receives authorization from the appropriate organizations, the user will be contacted, and the datasets made available by secure FTP.
GPS/HIV Datasets/Other Biomarkers
Because of the sensitive nature of GPS, HIV and other biomarkers datasets, permission to access these datasets requires that you accept a Terms of Use Statement. After selecting GPS/HIV/Other Biomarkers datasets, the user is presented with a consent form which should be signed electronically by entering the password for the user's account.
Dataset Terms of Use
Once downloaded, the datasets must not be passed on to other researchers without the written consent of The DHS Program. All reports and publications based on the requested data must be sent to The DHS Program Data Archive in a Portable Document Format (pdf) or a printed hard copy.
Download Datasets
Datasets are made available for download by survey. You will be presented with a list of surveys for which you have been granted dataset access. After selecting a survey, a list of all available datasets for that survey will be displayed, including all survey, GPS, and HIV data files. However, only data types for which you have been granted access will be accessible. To download, simply click on the files that you wish to download and a "File Download" prompt will guide you through the remaining steps.
Recommended citations are available at https://www.dhsprogram.com/publications/Recommended-Citations.cfm
Contacts
| Name | Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|
| Information about The DHS Program | The DHS Program | reports@DHSprogram.com |
| General Inquiries | The DHS Program | info@dhsprogram.com |
| Data and Data Related Resources | The DHS Program | archive@dhsprogram.com |
Metadata production
DDI_NGA_2024_DHS_v01_M
| Name | Abbreviation | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Data Group | DECDG | World Bank Group | Documentation of the survey |
2025-10-22T04:00:00.000Z
Metadata version
Version 01 (October 2024). Metadata is excerpted from "Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2024" final report.