Nigeria recorded the highest number of malaria cases and deaths worldwide, according to the 2025 World Malaria Report, which analyzed 2024 data from the World Health Organization. The report estimates that Nigeria experienced approximately 68.5 million malaria cases, accounting for about 24.3 % of all global cases, and roughly 184,800 deaths, representing 30.3 % of worldwide malaria fatalities.
Globally, an estimated 282 million malaria cases occurred across 80 endemic countries in 2024, marking a 58 % year‑on‑year increase. Several sub‑Saharan African nations—including Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Mozambique—continue to drive global transmission. Extreme climate events, conflict, population growth, and disruptions to essential health services have intensified the trend in recent years.
The report highlights that malaria case incidence fell by 25.6 % between 2000 and 2015, but rose by 8.5 % from 2015 to 2024. In 2024, incidence reached 64.0 cases per 1,000 people at risk, a 2 % increase from 2023, driven primarily by rises in Rwanda, Yemen, Madagascar, and Ethiopia. Malaria deaths worldwide were estimated at approximately 610 000 in 2024, an increase of 12 000 from the previous year. Madagascar, Ethiopia, and Yemen accounted for 85 % of this year‑on‑year rise in fatalities.
While the malaria mortality rate almost halved between 2000 and 2015, the decline has slowed since 2015, decreasing by only 7.4 % over the past nine years. The World Health Organization emphasizes the need for continued efforts to combat malaria, especially in high‑burden countries such as Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Data suggest that population growth has contributed to the rise in estimated malaria deaths, despite recent declines in mortality rates. These findings underscore the importance of sustained investment in malaria control and prevention measures to reduce the global disease burden.
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