Domestic credit to private sector by banks in Nigeria

Nigeria: Domestic credit to private sector by banks was 13.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
13.1%
Change on year
up 37.8%
World rank
160th
of 187 countries
All-time high
19.6%
in 2009
All-time low
3.7%
in 1960
Years of data
64
1960–2023

Domestic credit to private sector by banks in Nigeria, 1960–2023

5101520196019912023

Source: International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

The most recent figure for domestic credit to private sector by banks in Nigeria is 13.1%, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 37.8% on the previous year and up 13.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, domestic credit to private sector by banks in Nigeria peaked at 19.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 1960.

That places Nigeria 160th out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.

Domestic credit to private sector by banks in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP) in Nigeria, 1960 to 2023.
Year % of GDP Change
1960 3.7%
1961 3.7% +0.2%
1962 5.0% +34.4%
1963 5.6% +13.4%
1964 6.2% +10.3%
1965 6.6% +5.2%
1966 6.9% +4.7%
1967 7.6% +10.8%
1968 6.0% -20.5%
1969 4.9% -18.4%
1970 3.9% -21.7%
1971 4.8% +24.3%
1972 5.4% +13.5%
1973 6.0% +9.5%
1974 4.6% -22.5%
1975 6.4% +39.0%
1976 7.2% +12.2%
1977 8.7% +21.2%
1978 10.7% +22.6%
1979 10.2% -5.1%
1980 12.0% +18.3%
1981 5.7% -52.4%
1982 6.4% +11.3%
1983 6.2% -3.5%
1984 6.2% +1.0%
1985 6.0% -3.5%
1986 7.5% +25.7%
1987 6.6% -12.8%
1988 6.0% -8.4%
1989 5.0% -16.1%
1990 4.9% -1.9%
1991 5.0% +0.9%
1992 8.2% +63.7%
1993 6.9% -15.1%
1994 8.0% +15.2%
1995 6.5% -18.8%
1996 6.2% -5.2%
1997 7.0% +14.0%
1998 7.6% +8.5%
1999 8.2% +7.1%
2000 8.2% +0.8%
2001 9.8% +19.8%
2002 8.1% -18.0%
2003 8.9% +10.2%
2004 8.5% -5.0%
2005 8.4% -0.3%
2006 8.1% -3.7%
2007 13.4% +65.1%
2008 18.6% +38.7%
2009 19.6% +5.5%
2010 13.5% -31.3%
2011 11.0% -18.0%
2012 10.6% -4.0%
2013 11.5% +8.8%
2014 13.3% +15.3%
2015 13.1% -1.7%
2016 14.6% +11.7%
2017 12.8% -12.5%
2018 10.2% -20.3%
2019 7.4% -27.2%
2020 8.1% +9.4%
2021 8.8% +8.9%
2022 9.5% +7.9%
2023 13.1% +37.8%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

  • Nigeria's 13.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23.4%, 56% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Nigeria's 13.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 15.6%, 84% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 5.6% 3.7% 7.6% 10
1970s 6.8% 3.9% 10.7% 10
1980s 6.8% 5.0% 12.0% 10
1990s 6.8% 4.9% 8.2% 10
2000s 11.2% 8.1% 19.6% 10
2010s 11.8% 7.4% 14.6% 10
2020s 9.9% 8.1% 13.1% 4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 157 Zambia 13.7% compare
  2. 158 Papua New Guinea 13.4% compare
  3. 159 Gabon 13.3% compare
  4. 161 Central African Republic 12.8% compare
  5. 162 Uganda 12.5% compare
  6. 163 Libya 12.3% compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More financial sector data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is domestic credit to private sector by banks in Nigeria?
Domestic credit to private sector by banks in Nigeria was 13.1% in 2023, according to International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
What is the highest domestic credit to private sector by banks recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 19.6% in 2009.
What is the lowest domestic credit to private sector by banks recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 1960.
How does Nigeria rank for domestic credit to private sector by banks?
Nigeria ranks 160th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
Is domestic credit to private sector by banks rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Domestic credit to private sector by banks in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://financial-sector.statizoid.com/stat/domestic-credit-to-private-sector-by-banks-percent-of-gdp/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Domestic credit to private sector by banks (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
International Financial Statistics database, International Monetary Fund (IMF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 11,621 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Domestic credit to private sector by banks refers to financial resources provided to the private sector by other depository corporations (deposit taking corporations except central banks), such as through loans, purchases of nonequity securities, and trade credits and other accounts receivable, that establish a claim for repayment. For some countries these claims include credit to public enterprises. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.