2022 Edition

Background

Present-day Niger originated from the nomadic peoples of the Saharan north and the agriculturalists of the south. The Taureg kingdom of Takedda was one of the largest kingdoms in the north and played a prominent role in regional trade in the 14th century. In the south, the primary ethnic groups were the Songhai-Zarma in the west, the Hausa in the center, and the Kanuri in the east. When European colonizers arrived in the 19th century, the region was an assemblage of disparate local kingdoms. In the late 19th century, the British and French agreed to partition the middle regions of the Niger River, and France began its conquest of what would become the colony of Niger.  France experienced determined local resistance - particularly during the Tuareg uprising (1916-1917) - but established a colonial administration in 1922. After achieving independence from France in 1960, Niger experienced single-party or military rule until 1991 when political pressure forced General Ali SAIBOU to allow multiparty elections. Political infighting and democratic backsliding led to coups in 1996 and 1999. In December of that year, military officers restored democratic rule and held elections that brought Mamadou TANDJA to power. TANDJA was reelected in 2004 and spearheaded a 2009 constitutional amendment allowing him to extend his presidential term. In February 2010, military officers led another coup that deposed TANDJA. ISSOUFOU Mahamadou was elected in April 2011 and reelected in early 2016. In February 2021, BAZOUM Mohammed won the presidential election, marking Niger’s first transition from one democratically elected president to another.Niger is one of the poorest countries in the world with minimal government services and insufficient funds to develop its resource base. It is ranked last in the world on the UN Development Programme's Human Development Index. The largely agrarian and subsistence-based economy is frequently disrupted by extended droughts common to the Sahel region of Africa. The Nigerien Government continues its attempts to diversify the economy through increased oil production and mining projects. In addition, Niger is facing increased security concerns on its borders from various external threats including insecurity in Libya, spillover from the conflict and terrorism in Mali, and violent extremism in northeastern Nigeria.

Area

land

1,266,700 sq km

total

1.267 million sq km

water

300 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than twice the size of Texas

Climate

desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

Coastline

0 km (landlocked)

Elevation

highest point

Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m

lowest point

Niger River 200 m

mean elevation

474 m

Geographic coordinates

16 00 N, 8 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; one of the hottest countries in the world; northern four-fifths is desert, southern one-fifth is savanna, suitable for livestock and limited agriculture

Irrigated land

2,666 sq km (2020)

Land boundaries

border countries

Algeria 951 km; Benin 277 km; Burkina Faso 622 km; Chad 1,196 km; Libya 342 km; Mali 838 km; Nigeria 1,608 km

total

5,834 km

Land use

agricultural land

35.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 12.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 22.7% (2018 est.)

forest

1% (2018 est.)

other

63.9% (2018 est.)

Location

Western Africa, southeast of Algeria

Major aquifers

Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Murzuk-Djado Basin

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq kmnote - area varies by season and year to year

Major rivers (by length in km)

Niger (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, Benin, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Natural hazards

recurring droughts

Natural resources

uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum

Population distribution

majority of the populace is located in the southernmost extreme of the country along the border with Nigeria and Benin as shown in this population distribution map

Terrain

predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north

Age structure

0-14 years

50.58% (male 5,805,102/female 5,713,815)

15-24 years

19.99% (male 2,246,670/female 2,306,285)

25-54 years

23.57% (male 2,582,123/female 2,784,464)

55-64 years

3.17% (male 357,832/female 364,774)

65 years and over

2.68% (male 293,430/female 317,866) (2020 est.)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

47.08 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

31.3% (2019)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

11% (2021)

Current health expenditure

5.7% of GDP (2019)

Death rate

9.87 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Demographic profile

Niger has the highest total fertility rate (TFR) of any country in the world, averaging close to 7 children per woman in 2022. A slight decline in fertility over the last few decades has stalled. This leveling off of the high fertility rate is in large part a product of the continued desire for large families. In Niger, the TFR is lower than the desired fertility rate, which makes it unlikely that contraceptive use will increase. The high TFR sustains rapid population growth and a large youth population – almost 70% of the populace is under the age of 25, as of 2022. Gender inequality, including a lack of educational opportunities for women and early marriage and childbirth, also contributes to high population growth. Because of large family sizes, children are inheriting smaller and smaller parcels of land. The dependence of most Nigeriens on subsistence farming on increasingly small landholdings, coupled with declining rainfall and the resultant shrinkage of arable land, are all preventing food production from keeping up with population growth. For more than half a century, Niger's lack of economic development has led to steady net outmigration. In the 1960s, Nigeriens mainly migrated to coastal West African countries to work on a seasonal basis. Some headed to Libya and Algeria in the 1970s to work in the booming oil industry until its decline in the 1980s. Since the 1990s, the principal destinations for Nigerien labor migrants have been West African countries, especially Burkina Faso and Cote d’Ivoire, while emigration to Europe and North America has remained modest. During the same period, Niger’s desert trade route town Agadez became a hub for West African and other Sub-Saharan migrants crossing the Sahara to North Africa and sometimes onward to Europe. More than 60,000 Malian refugees have fled to Niger since violence between Malian government troops and armed rebels began in early 2012. Ongoing attacks by the Boko Haram Islamist insurgency, dating to 2013 in northern Nigeria and February 2015 in southeastern Niger, pushed tens of thousands of Nigerian refugees and Nigerien returnees across the border to Niger and displaced thousands of locals in Niger’s already impoverished Diffa region.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5

potential support ratio

20.1 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

105.4

youth dependency ratio

100.4

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 63.1% of population

improved: total

total: 68.6% of population

improved: urban

urban: 95.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 36.9% of population

unimproved: total

total: 31.4% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 4.2% of population

Education expenditures

3.8% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Hausa 53.1%, Zarma/Songhai 21.2%, Tuareg 11%, Fulani (Peuhl) 6.5%, Kanuri 5.9%, Gurma 0.8%, Arab 0.4%, Tubu 0.4%, other/unavailable 0.9% (2006 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.2% (2021 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)

Infant mortality rate

female

61.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)

male

71.73 deaths/1,000 live births

total

66.81 deaths/1,000 live births

Languages

French (official), Hausa, Djerma

Life expectancy at birth

female

61.68 years (2022 est.)

male

58.55 years

total population

60.09 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

26.7% (2018)

male

43.6%

total population

35.1%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Niger is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

1.437 million NIAMEY (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

509 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

15.1 years (2020 est.)

male

14.5 years

total

14.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

18.5 years (2012 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49

Nationality

adjective

Nigerien

noun

Nigerien(s)

Net migration rate

-0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

5.5% (2016)

Physicians density

0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

Population

24,484,587 (2022 est.)

Population distribution

majority of the populace is located in the southernmost extreme of the country along the border with Nigeria and Benin as shown in this population distribution map

Population growth rate

3.66% (2022 est.)

Religions

Muslim 99.3%, Christian 0.3%, animist 0.2%, none 0.1% (2012 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 13.5% of population

improved: total

total: 24.8% of population

improved: urban

urban: 81.9% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 86.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 75.2% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 18.1% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

6 years (2017)

male

7 years

total

6 years

Sex ratio

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-24 years

0.97 male(s)/female

25-54 years

0.92 male(s)/female

55-64 years

0.97 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)

Tobacco use

female

1.1% (2020 est.)

male

13.7% (2020 est.)

total

7.4% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

6.82 children born/woman (2022 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

17.1% of total population (2023)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

17.5% (2017 est.)

male

16.1%

total

16.6%

Administrative divisions

7 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district* (communaute urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder

Capital

etymology

according to tradition, the site was originally a fishing village named after a prominent local tree referred to as "nia niam"

geographic coordinates

13 31 N, 2 07 E

name

Niamey

time difference

UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

Citizenship

citizenship by birth

no

citizenship by descent only

at least one parent must be a citizen of Niger

dual citizenship recognized

yes

residency requirement for naturalization

unknown

Constitution

amendments

proposed by the president of the republic or by the National Assembly; consideration of amendments requires at least three-fourths majority vote by the Assembly; passage requires at least four-fifths majority vote; if disapproved, the proposed amendment is dropped or submitted to a referendum; constitutional articles on the form of government, the multiparty system, the separation of state and religion, disqualification of Assembly members, amendment procedures, and amnesty of participants in the 2010 coup cannot be amended; amended 2011, 2017

history

several previous; passed by referendum 31 October 2010, entered into force 25 November 2010

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Niger

conventional short form

Niger

etymology

named for the Niger River that passes through the southwest of the country; from a native term "Ni Gir" meaning "River Gir"

local long form

Republique du Niger

local short form

Niger

note

note: pronounced nee-zhair

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador (vacant), Chargé d’Affaires, Susan N’GARNIM (since 23 August 2021)

email address and website

consulateniamey@state.govhttps://ne.usembassy.gov/

embassy

BP 11201, Niamey

FAX

[227] 20-73-55-60

mailing address

2420 Niamey Place, Washington DC  20521-2420

telephone

[227] 20-72-26-61

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mamadou Kiari LIMAN-TINGUIRI (since 19 April 2022)

email address and website

communication@embassyofniger.orghttp://www.embassyofniger.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 483-3169

telephone

[1] (202) 483-4224

Executive branch

cabinet

Cabinet appointed by the president

chief of state

President Mohamed BAZOUM (since 2 April 2021)

election results

2020/2021: percent of vote in first round - Mohamed BAZOUM (PNDS-Tarrayya) 39.3%, Mahamane OUSMANE (MODEN/FA Lumana Africa) 17%, Seini OUMAROU (MNSD-Nassara) 9%, Albade ABOUDA (MPR-Jamhuriya) 7.1%, other 27.6%; percent of vote in second round - Mohamed BAZOUM (PNDS-Tarrayya) 55.7%, Mahamane OUSMANE (RDR Tchanji) 44.3%2016: ISSOUFOU Mahamadou reelected president in second round; percent of vote in first round - ISSOUFOU Mahamadou (PNDS-Tarrayya) 48.6%, Hama AMADOU (MODEN/FA Lumana Africa) 17.8%, Seini OUMAROU (MNSD-Nassara) 11.3%, other 22.3%; percent of vote in second round - ISSOUFOU Mahamadou 92%, Hama AMADOU 8%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 27 December 2020 with a runoff held on 21 February 2021 (next to be held in 2025); prime minister appointed by the president, authorized by the National Assembly

head of government

Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou MAHAMADOU (since 3 April 2021)

Flag description

three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green with a small orange disk centered in the white band; the orange band denotes the drier northern regions of the Sahara; white stands for purity and innocence; green symbolizes hope and the fertile and productive southern and western areas, as well as the Niger River; the orange disc represents the sun and the sacrifices made by the people

note

note: similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the white band

Government type

semi-presidential republic

Independence

3 August 1960 (from France)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ACP, AfDB, AU, CD, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), Entente, FAO, FZ, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), LCBC, MIGA, MINUSMA, MNJTF, MONUSCO, NAM, OIC, OIF, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WADB (regional), WAEMU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges); High Court of Justice (consists of 7 members)

judge selection and term of office

Constitutional Court judges nominated/elected - 1 by the president of the Republic, 1 by the president of the National Assembly, 2 by peer judges, 2 by peer lawyers, 1 law professor by peers, and 1 from within Nigerien society; all appointed by the president; judges serve 6-year nonrenewable terms with one-third of membership renewed every 2 years; High Judicial Court members selected from among the legislature and judiciary; members serve 5-year terms

subordinate courts

Court of Cassation; Council of State; Court of Finances; various specialized tribunals and customary courts

Legal system

mixed legal system of civil law, based on French civil law, Islamic law, and customary law

Legislative branch

description

unicameral National Assembly or Assemblee Nationale (171 statutory seats - 166 currently; 158 members directly elected from 8 multi-member constituencies in 7 regions and Niamey by party-list proportional representation, 8 reserved for minorities elected in special single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote, 5 seats reserved for Nigeriens living abroad - l seat per continent - elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote; members serve 5-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - percent of vote by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 37.04%, MODEN/FA Lumana 8.71%, MPR-Jamhuriya 7.59%, MNSD-Nassara 6.77%,  RDR-Tchanji 4.41%, CPR-Inganci 4.15%, MPN-Kishin Kassa 3.97%, PJP Generation Dubara 2.88%, ANDP Zaman Lahya 2.46%, RPP Farrilla 2.10%, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 1.74%, AMEN AMIN 1.43%, MDEN Falala 1.42%, other 15.33%; seats by party - PNDS-Tarrayya 79, MODEN/FA Lumana 19, MPR-Jamhuriya 14, MNSD-Nassara 13, CPR-Inganci 8, MPN-Kishin Kassa 6, ANDP-Zaman Lahiya 3, RPP Farrilla 2, PJP Generation Dubara 2, ARD Adaltchi-Mutuntchi 2, AMEN AMIN 2, other 16; composition - men 123, women 43, percent of women 25.9%

elections

last held on 27 December 2020 (next scheduled in December 2025)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Maurice Albert THIRIET/Robert JACQUET and Nicolas Abel Francois FRIONNET

name

"La Nigerienne" (The Nigerien)

note

note: adopted 1961

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (n); W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (n); Historic Agadez (c)

total World Heritage Sites

3 (1 cultural, 2 natural)

National holiday

Republic Day, 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960

National symbol(s)

zebu; national colors: orange, white, green

Political parties and leaders

Alliance for Democracy and the RepublicAlliance for Democratic Renewal or ARD-Adaltchi-Mutuntchi [Laouan MAGAGI] Alliance of Movements for the Emergence of Niger or AMEN AMIN [Omar Hamidou TCHIANA]Congress for the Republic or CPR-Inganci [Maradi Kassoum MOCTAR]Democratic Alternation for Equity in NigerDemocratic and Republican Renewal-RDR-Tchanji [Mahamane OUSMANE]Democratic Movement for the Emergence of NigerNational Movement for the Development of Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara [Seini OUMAROU]Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDP-Zaman Lahiya [Moussa Hassane BARAZE]Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation or MODEN/FA Lumana [Hama AMADOU]Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya [Mahamadou ISSOUFOU]Nigerien Patriotic Movement or MPN-Kishin Kassa [Ibrahim YACOUBA]Nigerien Rally for Democracy and PeacePatriotic Movement for the Republic or MPR-Jamhuriya [Albade ABOUBA]Peace, Justice, Progress–Generation DoubaraRally for Democracy and Progress-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]Rally for Peace and ProgressSocial Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya [Amadou CHEIFFOU]Social Democratic Party or PSD-Bassira [Sanoussi MAREINI]

note

note 1: only parties with seats in the National Assembly are listednote 2: the SPLM and SPLM-DC are banned political parties

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

millet, cow peas, sorghum, onions, milk, groundnuts, cassava, cabbages, goat milk, fruit

Budget

expenditures

2.171 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

1.757 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Moody's rating

B3 (2019)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$1.181 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$1.16 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 31 December 2016

$2.926 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Debt - external 31 December 2017

$3.728 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Economic overview

Niger is a landlocked, Sub-Saharan nation, whose economy centers on subsistence crops, livestock, and some of the world's largest uranium deposits. Agriculture contributes approximately 40% of GDP and provides livelihood for over 80% of the population. The UN ranked Niger as the second least developed country in the world in 2016 due to multiple factors such as food insecurity, lack of industry, high population growth, a weak educational sector, and few prospects for work outside of subsistence farming and herding.   Since 2011 public debt has increased due to efforts to scale-up public investment, particularly that related to infrastructure, as well as due to increased security spending. The government relies on foreign donor resources for a large portion of its fiscal budget. The economy in recent years has been hurt by terrorist activity near its uranium mines and by instability in Mali and in the Diffa region of the country; concerns about security have resulted in increased support from regional and international partners on defense. Low uranium prices, demographics, and security expenditures may continue to put pressure on the government’s finances.   The Government of Niger plans to exploit oil, gold, coal, and other mineral resources to sustain future growth. Although Niger has sizable reserves of oil, the prolonged drop in oil prices has reduced profitability. Food insecurity and drought remain perennial problems for Niger, and the government plans to invest more in irrigation. Niger’s three-year $131 million IMF Extended Credit Facility (ECF) agreement for the years 2012-15 was extended until the end of 2016. In February 2017, the IMF approved a new 3-year $134 million ECF. In June 2017, The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) granted Niger $1 billion over three years for IDA18, a program to boost the country’s development and alleviate poverty. A $437 million Millennium Challenge Account compact for Niger, commencing in FY18, will focus on large-scale irrigation infrastructure development and community-based, climate-resilient agriculture, while promoting sustainable increases in agricultural productivity and sales.   Formal private sector investment needed for economic diversification and growth remains a challenge, given the country’s limited domestic markets, access to credit, and competitiveness. Although President ISSOUFOU is courting foreign investors, including those from the US, as of April 2017, there were no US firms operating in Niger. In November 2017, the National Assembly passed the 2018 Finance Law that was geared towards raising government revenues and moving away from international support.

Exchange rates

Currency

Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

494.42 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

591.45 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2015

593.01 (2015 est.)

Exchange rates 2016

593.01 (2016 est.)

Exchange rates 2017

605.3 (2017 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$1.45 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports 2019

$1.39 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - commodities

gold, sesame seeds, uranium, natural gas, refined petroleum (2019)

Exports - partners

United Arab Emirates 54%, China 25%, France 7%, Pakistan 5% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

16.4% (2017 est.)

government consumption

9.4% (2017 est.)

household consumption

70.2% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-34.6% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

38.6% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

41.6% (2017 est.)

industry

19.5% (2017 est.)

services

38.7% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$12.926 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 1995

50.5 (1995)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2014

34.3 (2014 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

26.8% (2014)

lowest 10%

3.2%

Imports

Imports 2018

$3.37 billion (2018 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports 2019

$3.4 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - commodities

rice, packaged medicines, palm oil, cars, cement (2019)

Imports - partners

China 19%, France 9%, United Arab Emirates 7%, Cote d'Ivoire 6%, India 6%, Nigeria 5%, Togo 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

6% (2017 est.)

Industries

uranium mining, petroleum, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

2.3% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

6.3% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

-2.5% (2019 est.)

Labor force

6.5 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

79.2%

industry

3.3%

services

17.5% (2012 est.)

Population below poverty line

40.8% (2018 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

45.2% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

45.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$26.95 billion (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$28.54 billion (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$28.97 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

4.3% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

4.9% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

4.9% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$1,200 (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$1,200 (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$1,200 (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$1.186 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$1.314 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

21.4% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2016

0.3% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate 2017

0.3% (2017 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

17.5% (2017 est.)

male

16.1%

total

16.6%

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

499,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

1.875 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

2.374 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

224,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

0 metric tons (2020 est.)

production

224,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

6 million metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

1,325,420,000 kWh (2019 est.)

exports

0 kWh (2019 est.)

imports

1.057 billion kWh (2019 est.)

installed generating capacity

324,000 kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

313 million kWh (2019 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

2% (2019)

electrification - total population

14% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

71% (2019)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

94.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

5.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

1.54 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

exports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

imports

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Petroleum

crude oil and lease condensate exports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil and lease condensate imports

0 bbl/day (2018 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

150 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

13,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

8,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

5,422 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

3,799 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

15,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.1 (2020 est.)

total

12,000 (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

state-run TV station; 3 private TV stations provide a mix of local and foreign programming; state-run radio has only radio station with national coverage; about 30 private radio stations operate locally; as many as 100 community radio stations broadcast; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are available

Internet country code

.ne

Internet users

percent of population

10% (2019 est.)

total

2,331,072 (2019 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line less than 1 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular at nearly 59 per 100 persons (2020)

general assessment

Niger is one of the largest countries in West Africa but also one of the poorest in the world; as with many African markets, a lack of fixed telecoms infrastructure has led to growth in mobile services; Niger’s mobile penetration is modest compared to other countries in the region, while fixed broadband penetration is negligible; recent international investment to complete the Trans-Saharan Dorsal optical fibre (SDR) network has extended the reach of fiber infrastructure in the country, and also increased international capacity; new cables linking the country with Chad and Burkina Faso have extended Niger’s connectivity with international cable infrastructure (2022)

international

country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced a downturn, particularly in mobile device production; progress toward 5G implementation has resumed, as well as upgrades to infrastructure; consumer spending on telecom services has increased due to the surge in demand for capacity and bandwidth; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home is still evident, and the spike in this area has seen growth opportunities for development of new tools and increased services

Telephones - fixed lines

total subscriptions

58,000 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

59 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

14.239 million (2020 est.)

Airports

total

30 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

6

2,438 to 3,047 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

1 (2021)

total

10

Airports - with unpaved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

914 to 1,523 m

15

total

20

under 914 m

2 (2021)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

5U

Heliports

1 (2021)

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 1 (2021)

total

1

National air transport system

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

3

number of registered air carriers

2 (2020)

Pipelines

464 km oil

Roadways

paved

3,912 km (2010)

total

18,949 km (2010)

unpaved

15,037 km (2010)

Waterways

300 km (2012) (the Niger, the only major river, is navigable to Gaya between September and March)

Military - note

as of 2022, the FAN was conducting counterinsurgency and counterterrorism operations against Islamic militants on at least two fronts; in the Diffa region, the Nigeria-based Boko Haram terrorist group has conducted dozens of attacks on security forces, army bases, and civilians; on Niger’s western border with Mali, the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham-West Africa (ISIS-WA) has conducted numerous attacks on security personnel; a series of ISIS-WA attacks on FAN forces near the Malian border in December of 2019 and January of 2020 resulted in the deaths of more than 170 soldiers; terrorist attacks continued into 2022 (2022)

Military and security forces

Nigerien Armed Forces (Forces Armees Nigeriennes, FAN): Army, Nigerien Air Force, Niger Gendarmerie (GN); Ministry of Interior: Niger National Guard (GNN), National Police (2022)

note

note 1: the Gendarmerie has primary responsibility for rural security; the National Guard is responsible for domestic security and the protection of high-level officials and government buildingsnote 2: the National Police includes the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance, which is charged with border managementnote 3: the National Guard was formerly known as the National Forces of Intervention and Security 

Military and security service personnel strengths

information varies; approximately 12,000 active FAN troops (8,000 Army; 200 Air Force; 4,000 Gendarmerie); approximately 3,000 National Guard (2022)

Military deployments

875 Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)

note

note 1: Niger is part of a four (formerly five)-nation anti-jihadist task force known as the G5 (now G4) Sahel Group, set up in 2014 with Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali (withdrew in 2022), and Mauritania; it has committed 1,100 troops and 200 gendarmes to the force; as of 2022, defense forces from each of the participating states were allowed to pursue terrorist fighters up to 100 km into neighboring countries; the force is backed by France, the UN, and the USnote 2: Niger also has about 1,000 troops committed to the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against Boko Haram and other terrorist groups operating in the general area of the Lake Chad Basin and along Nigeria's northeast border; national MNJTF troop contingents are deployed within their own country territories, although cross‐border operations are conducted periodically

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the FAN's inventory consists of a wide variety of older weapons; since 2010, the FAN has received small amounts of mostly second-hand equipment and donations from several countries with the US as the top provider (2022)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2017

2% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $270 million)

Military Expenditures 2018

1.9% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $270 million)

Military Expenditures 2019

1.7% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $260 million)

Military Expenditures 2020

2% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.8% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military service age and obligation

has conscription, although it is reportedly not always enforced; 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory or voluntary military service; enlistees must be Nigerien citizens and unmarried; 2-year service term; women may serve in health care (2022)

Disputes - international

Niger-Benin-Nigeria: location of Niger-Benin-Nigeria tripoint is unresolved Niger-Burkina Faso: the dispute with Burkina Faso was referred to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in 2010; the ICJ ruled in 2013 that 786 sq km should go to Burkina Faso and 277 sq km to Niger; the ruling was implemented in 2015 and 2016, with Burkina Faso gaining 14 towns and Niger 4 Niger-Cameroon-Nigeria: only Nigeria and Cameroon have heeded the Lake Chad Commission's admonition to ratify the delimitation treaty that also includes the Chad-Niger and Niger-Nigeria boundaries Niger-Libya: Libya claims about 25,000 sq km in a currently dormant dispute in the Tummo region

Illicit drugs

a transit point for illicit drugs trafficked through the Sahara; drugs from South America, particularly cocaine, heroin, cannabis products, and synthetic drugs, transit en route to European and Middle Eastern markets; synthetic opioid tramadol is shipped from Nigeria through Niger to other African countries; hashish from Morocco is trafficked to Libya, Egypt, Europe, and the Middle East; traffickers are formalized networks of Arab, Tuareg, and Toubou transportation groups

Refugees and internally displaced persons

IDPs

376,809 (includes the regions of Diffa, Tillaberi, and Tahoua; unknown how many of the 11,000 people displaced by clashes between government forces and the Tuareg militant group, Niger Movement for Justice, in 2007 are still displaced; inter-communal violence; Boko Haram attacks in southern Niger, 2015) (2022)

refugees (country of origin)

187,130 (Nigeria), 65,621 (Mali) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)

Terrorist group(s)

Boko Haram; Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham in the Greater Sahara (ISIS-GS); Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham – West Africa (ISIS-WA); Jama'at Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM); al-Mulathamun Battalion (al-Mourabitoun)

note

note: details about the history, aims, leadership, organization, areas of operation, tactics, targets, weapons, size, and sources of support of the group(s) appear(s) in Appendix-T

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

2.02 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

22.99 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

70.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south

Environment - current issues

overgrazing; soil erosion; deforestation; desertification; contaminated water; inadequate potable water; wildlife populations (such as elephant, hippopotamus, giraffe, and lion) threatened because of poaching and habitat destruction

Environment - international agreements

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified

none of the selected agreements

Food insecurity

exceptional shortfall in aggregate food production/supplies

due to internal conflict and shortfall in cereal production - according to the latest analysis, about 4.4 million people are estimated to need humanitarian food assistance between June and August 2022, reflecting worsening conflicts and security conditions, and unfavorable weather that resulted in a sharp fall in cereal production in 2021; additionally, higher year-on-year prices of food continue to constrain access to food, aggravating conditions (2022)

Land use

agricultural land

35.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 12.3% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 22.7% (2018 est.)

forest

1% (2018 est.)

other

63.9% (2018 est.)

Major aquifers

Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Murzuk-Djado Basin

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

note

note: on 21 March 2022, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued a Travel Alert for polio in Africa; Niger is currently considered a high risk to travelers for circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV); vaccine-derived poliovirus (VDPV) is a strain of the weakened poliovirus that was initially included in oral polio vaccine (OPV) and that has changed over time and behaves more like the wild or naturally occurring virus; this means it can be spread more easily to people who are unvaccinated against polio and who come in contact with the stool or respiratory secretions, such as from a sneeze, of an “infected” person who received oral polio vaccine; the CDC recommends that before any international travel, anyone unvaccinated, incompletely vaccinated, or with an unknown polio vaccination status should complete the routine polio vaccine series; before travel to any high-risk destination, the CDC recommends that adults who previously completed the full, routine polio vaccine series receive a single, lifetime booster dose of polio vaccine

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria and dengue fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major lakes (area sq km)

fresh water lake(s)

Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq kmnote - area varies by season and year to year

Major rivers (by length in km)

Niger (shared with Guinea [s], Mali, Benin, and Nigeria [m]) - 4,200 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Major watersheds (area sq km)

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Niger (2,261,741 sq km)Internal (endorheic basin) drainage: Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0.03% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

4.41% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

34.05 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.536 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

36 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

178.9 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

4.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

17.1% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

1,865,646 tons (1993 est.)

municipal solid waste recycled annually

74,626 tons (2005 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled

4% (2005 est.)