Introduction
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.
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Geography
Location
Western Africa, southeast of Algeria
Geographic coordinates
16 00 N, 8 00 E
Map references
Africa
Area
total: 1.267 million sq km
land: 1,266,700 sq km
water: 300 sq km
Land boundaries
total: 5,834 km
border countries (7): Algeria 951 km; Benin 277 km; Burkina Faso 622 km; Chad 1,196 km; Libya 342 km; Mali 838 km; Nigeria 1,608 km
Coastline
0 km (landlocked)
Maritime claims
none (landlocked)
Climate
desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Terrain
predominately desert plains and sand dunes; flat to rolling plains in south; hills in north
Elevation
highest point: Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m
lowest point: Niger River 200 m
mean elevation: 474 m
Natural resources
uranium, coal, iron ore, tin, phosphates, gold, molybdenum, gypsum, salt, petroleum
Land use
agricultural land: 35.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 12.3% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 22.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 1% (2018 est.)
other: 63.9% (2018 est.)
Irrigated land
2,666 sq km (2020)
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km
note - 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 km
note – [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)
Major aquifers
Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Murzuk-Djado Basin
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
Natural hazards
recurring droughts
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
People and Society
Nationality
noun: Nigerien(s)
adjective: Nigerien
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.)
Languages
French (official), Hausa, Djerma
Religions
Muslim 99.3%, Christian 0.3%, animist 0.2%, none 0.1% (2012 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.
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.)
Dependency ratios
total dependency ratio: 105.4
youth dependency ratio: 100.4
elderly dependency ratio: 5
potential support ratio: 20.1 (2021 est.)
Median age
total: 14.8 years
male: 14.5 years
female: 15.1 years (2020 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
Urbanization
urban population: 17.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 4.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Major urban areas - population
1.437 million NIAMEY (capital) (2023)
Sex ratio
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
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
total population: 0.98 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
18.5 years (2012 est.)
note: data represents median age at first birth among women 20-49
Maternal mortality ratio
509 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
country comparison to the world: 20Infant mortality rate
total: 66.81 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 71.73 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 61.75 deaths/1,000 live births (2022 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 60.09 years
male: 58.55 years
female: 61.68 years (2022 est.)
Gross reproduction rate
3.31 (2023 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rate
11% (2021)
Drinking water source
improved: urban: 95.8% of population
rural: 63.1% of population
total: 68.6% of population
unimproved: urban: 4.2% of population
rural: 36.9% of population
total: 31.4% of population (2020 est.)
Current health expenditure
5.7% of GDP (2019)
Physicians density
0.04 physicians/1,000 population (2020)
Hospital bed density
0.4 beds/1,000 population (2017)
Sanitation facility access
improved: urban: 81.9% of population
rural: 13.5% of population
total: 24.8% of population
unimproved: urban: 18.1% of population
rural: 86.5% of population
total: 75.2% of population (2020 est.)
Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: very high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
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
Alcohol consumption per capita
total: 0.11 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 0.04 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 0.01 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 0.06 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
Tobacco use
total: 7.4% (2020 est.)
male: 13.7% (2020 est.)
female: 1.1% (2020 est.)
Currently married women (ages 15-49)
80.3% (2023 est.)
Literacy
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 35.1%
male: 43.6%
female: 26.7% (2018)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
total: 6 years
male: 7 years
female: 6 years (2017)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 1%
male: 1.2%
female: 0.7% (2021 est.)
Environment
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
Air pollutants
particulate matter emissions: 70.8 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 2.02 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 22.99 megatons (2020 est.)
Climate
desert; mostly hot, dry, dusty; tropical in extreme south
Land use
agricultural land: 35.1% (2018 est.)
arable land: 12.3% (2018 est.)
permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)
permanent pasture: 22.7% (2018 est.)
forest: 1% (2018 est.)
other: 63.9% (2018 est.)
Urbanization
urban population: 17.1% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 4.72% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
Revenue from forest resources
forest revenues: 4.41% of GDP (2018 est.)
country comparison to the world: 16Major infectious diseases
degree of risk: very high (2020)
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria and dengue fever
water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
animal contact diseases: rabies
respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
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
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)
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.)
Major lakes (area sq km)
fresh water lake(s): Lake Chad (endorheic lake shared with Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon) - 10,360-25,900 sq km
note - 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 km
note – [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)
Major aquifers
Lake Chad Basin, Lullemeden-Irhazer Basin, Murzuk-Djado Basin
Total water withdrawal
municipal: 178.9 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
industrial: 36 million cubic meters (2017 est.)
agricultural: 1.536 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Total renewable water resources
34.05 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)
Government
Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Niger
conventional short form: Niger
local long form: Republique du Niger
local 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"
note: pronounced nee-zhair
Government type
semi-presidential republic
Capital
name: Niamey
geographic coordinates: 13 31 N, 2 07 E
time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
etymology: according to tradition, the site was originally a fishing village named after a prominent local tree referred to as "nia niam"
Administrative divisions
7 regions (regions, singular - region) and 1 capital district* (communaute urbaine); Agadez, Diffa, Dosso, Maradi, Niamey*, Tahoua, Tillaberi, Zinder
Independence
3 August 1960 (from France)
National holiday
Republic Day, 18 December (1958); note - commemorates the founding of the Republic of Niger which predated independence from France in 1960
Constitution
history: several previous; passed by referendum 31 October 2010, entered into force 25 November 2010
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
Legal system
mixed legal system of civil law, based on French civil law, Islamic law, and customary law
International law organization participation
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
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
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch
chief of state: President Mohamed BAZOUM (since 2 April 2021)
head of government: Prime Minister Ouhoumoudou MAHAMADOU (since 3 April 2021)
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
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
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%
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)
elections: last held on 27 December 2020 (next scheduled in December 2025)
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%
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
Political parties and leaders
Alliance for Democracy and the Republic
Alliance 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 Niger
Democratic and Republican Renewal-RDR-Tchanji [Mahamane OUSMANE]
Democratic Movement for the Emergence of Niger
National 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 Peace
Patriotic Movement for the Republic or MPR-Jamhuriya [Albade ABOUBA]
Peace, Justice, Progress–Generation Doubara
Rally for Democracy and Progress-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a [Hamid ALGABID]
Rally for Peace and Progress
Social Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya [Amadou CHEIFFOU]
Social Democratic Party or PSD-Bassira [Sanoussi MAREINI]
note 1: only parties with seats in the National Assembly are listed
note 2: the SPLM and SPLM-DC are banned political parties
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
Diplomatic representation in the US
chief of mission: Ambassador Mamadou Kiari LIMAN-TINGUIRI (since 19 April 2022)
chancery: 2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 483-4224
FAX: [1] (202) 483-3169
email address and website:
communication@embassyofniger.org
http://www.embassyofniger.org/
Diplomatic representation from the US
chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant), Chargé d’Affaires, Susan N’GARNIM (since 23 August 2021)
embassy: BP 11201, Niamey
mailing address: 2420 Niamey Place, Washington DC 20521-2420
telephone: [227] 20-72-26-61
FAX: [227] 20-73-55-60
email address and website:
consulateniamey@state.gov
https://ne.usembassy.gov/
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: similar to the flag of India, which has a blue spoked wheel centered in the white band
National symbol(s)
zebu; national colors: orange, white, green
National anthem
name: "La Nigerienne" (The Nigerien)
lyrics/music: Maurice Albert THIRIET/Robert JACQUET and Nicolas Abel Francois FRIONNET
note: adopted 1961
National heritage
total World Heritage Sites: 3 (1 cultural, 2 natural)
selected World Heritage Site locales: Air and Ténéré Natural Reserves (n); W-Arly-Pendjari Complex (n); Historic Agadez (c)
Economy
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.
Real GDP (purchasing power parity)
$29.964 billion (2021 est.)
$29.554 billion (2020 est.)
$28.541 billion (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate
1.39% (2021 est.)
3.55% (2020 est.)
5.94% (2019 est.)
Real GDP per capita
$1,200 (2021 est.)
$1,200 (2020 est.)
$1,200 (2019 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP (official exchange rate)
$12.926 billion (2019 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
3.84% (2021 est.)
2.9% (2020 est.)
-2.49% (2019 est.)
Credit ratings
Moody's rating: B3 (2019)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
GDP - composition, by sector of origin
agriculture: 41.6% (2017 est.)
industry: 19.5% (2017 est.)
services: 38.7% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by end use
household consumption: 70.2% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 9.4% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 38.6% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 16.4% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -34.6% (2017 est.)
Agricultural products
millet, cow peas, sorghum, onions, milk, groundnuts, cassava, cabbages, goat milk, fruit
Industries
uranium mining, petroleum, cement, brick, soap, textiles, food processing, chemicals, slaughterhouses
Labor force - by occupation
agriculture: 79.2%
industry: 3.3%
services: 17.5% (2012 est.)
Unemployment rate
0.75% (2021 est.)
0.62% (2020 est.)
0.55% (2019 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)
total: 1%
male: 1.2%
female: 0.7% (2021 est.)
Population below poverty line
40.8% (2018 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income
34.3 (2014 est.)
country comparison to the world: 111Household income or consumption by percentage share
lowest 10%: 3.2%
highest 10%: 26.8% (2014)
Budget
revenues: $1.757 billion (2017 est.)
expenditures: $2.171 billion (2017 est.)
Fiscal year
calendar year
Current account balance
-$1.816 billion (2020 est.)
-$1.572 billion (2019 est.)
-$1.625 billion (2018 est.)
Exports
$1.338 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.387 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$1.45 billion (2018 est.)
Exports - partners
United Arab Emirates 54%, China 25%, France 7%, Pakistan 5% (2019)
Exports - commodities
gold, sesame seeds, uranium, natural gas, refined petroleum (2019)
Imports
$3.542 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$3.395 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars
$3.369 billion (2018 est.)
Imports - partners
China 19%, France 9%, United Arab Emirates 7%, Cote d'Ivoire 6%, India 6%, Nigeria 5%, Togo 5%, Turkey 5% (2019)
Imports - commodities
rice, packaged medicines, palm oil, cars, cement (2019)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold
$1.314 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$1.186 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Debt - external
$3.728 billion (31 December 2017 est.)
$2.926 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Exchange rates
Communaute Financiere Africaine francs (XOF) per US dollar -
554.531 (2021 est.)
575.586 (2020 est.)
585.911 (2019 est.)
555.446 (2018 est.)
580.657 (2017 est.)
Energy
Electricity access
electrification - total population: 14% (2019)
electrification - urban areas: 71% (2019)
electrification - rural areas: 2% (2019)
Electricity
installed generating capacity: 324,000 kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 1,325,420,000 kWh (2019 est.)
exports: 0 kWh (2019 est.)
imports: 1.057 billion kWh (2019 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 313 million kWh (2019 est.)
Electricity generation sources
fossil fuels: 94.1% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 5.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Coal
production: 224,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 224,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 0 metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 6 million metric tons (2019 est.)
Petroleum
total petroleum production: 8,000 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 13,800 bbl/day (2019 est.)
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 products - production
15,280 bbl/day (2015 est.)
country comparison to the world: 94Natural gas
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
exports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
imports: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
Carbon dioxide emissions
2.374 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 499,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 1.875 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 0 metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
Energy consumption per capita
1.54 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
country comparison to the world: 191Communications
Telephones - mobile cellular
total subscriptions: 14.239 million (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 59 (2020 est.)
Telecommunication systems
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)
domestic: fixed-line less than 1 per 100 persons and mobile-cellular at nearly 59 per 100 persons (2020)
international: country code - 227; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean)
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
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 users
total: 2,331,072 (2019 est.)
percent of population: 10% (2019 est.)
Broadband - fixed subscriptions
total: 12,000 (2020 est.)
subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.1 (2020 est.)
Transportation
National air transport system
number of registered air carriers: 2 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 3
Airports - with paved runways
total: 10
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 6
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2021)
Airports - with unpaved runways
total: 20
1,524 to 2,437 m: 3
914 to 1,523 m: 15
under 914 m: 2 (2021)
Heliports
1 (2021)
Pipelines
464 km oil
Roadways
total: 18,949 km (2010)
paved: 3,912 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)
country comparison to the world: 102Military and Security
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 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 buildings
note 2: the National Police includes the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance, which is charged with border management
note 3: the National Guard was formerly known as the National Forces of Intervention and Security
Military expenditures
1.8% of GDP (2021 est.)
2% of GDP (2020 est.)
1.7% of GDP (2019 est.) (approximately $260 million)
1.9% of GDP (2018 est.) (approximately $270 million)
2% of GDP (2017 est.) (approximately $270 million)
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 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 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)
Military deployments
875 Mali (MINUSMA) (May 2022)
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 US
note 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 - 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)
Terrorism
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: 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
Transnational Issues
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
Refugees and internally displaced persons
refugees (country of origin): 188,107 (Nigeria), 65,688 (Mali) (refugees and asylum seekers) (2022)
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)
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