Niger

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

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

highest point:

Idoukal-n-Taghes 2,022 m

lowest point:

Niger River 200 m

mean elevation:

474 m

Atlantic Ocean drainage:

Niger (2,261,741 sq km)

Internal (endorheic basin) drainage:

Lake Chad (2,497,738 sq km)

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

noun:

Nigerien(s)

adjective:

Nigerien

total:

15.3 years (2025 est.)

male:

14.9 years

female:

15.6 years

at birth:

1.03 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years:

0.95 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.92 male(s)/female

total population:

0.98 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

total:

63 deaths/1,000 live births (2025 est.)

male:

69.2 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

59.2 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

60.9 years (2024 est.)

male:

59.3 years

female:

62.5 years

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.)

total:

7.5% (2025 est.)

male:

13.7% (2025 est.)

female:

1.2% (2025 est.)

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

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

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

urban population:

17.1% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization:

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

energy:

137.8 kt (2022-2024 est.)

agriculture:

713.8 kt (2019-2021 est.)

waste:

128.2 kt (2019-2021 est.)

other:

11.1 kt (2019-2021 est.)

municipal solid waste generated annually:

1.866 million tons (2024 est.)

percent of municipal solid waste recycled:

20.3% (2022 est.)

municipal:

193.247 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

industrial:

38.654 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

agricultural:

2.351 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Niger

conventional short form:

Niger

local long form:

République du Niger

local short form:

Niger

etymology:

• named for the Niger River that passes through the southwest of the country;
• the name of the river probably comes from the local Tuareg name, egereou n-igereouen (big rivers)

note: pronounced nee-ZHAIR

name:

Niamey

geographic coordinates:

13 31 N, 2 07 E

time difference:

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

etymology:

the origin of the name is unclear; one of many stories says that an African chief told his seven slaves " Wa niammane ," meaning "stay here," and the name was later shortened to its present form

history:

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

amendment process:

• formerly proposed by the president of the republic or 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

note: on 26 July 2023, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland, a military junta which took control of Niger's government, dissolved the country's constitution

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

chief of state:

President of the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland (CNSP) General Abdourahame TIANI (since 28 July 2023)

head of government:

CNSP Prime Minister Ali Mahaman Lamine ZEINE (since 9 August 2023)

cabinet:

Cabinet appointed by the CNSP

election/appointment process:

• the CNSP rules by decree;
• previously, the president was directly elected by absolute-majority popular vote in 2 rounds, if needed, for a 5-year term (eligible for a second term);
• prime minister was appointed by the president, authorized by the National Assembly

most recent election date:

27 December 2020, with a runoff held on 21 February 2021

election results:

• 2020/2021 : Mohamed BAZOUM elected president in second round;
• 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 55.7%, Mahamane OUSMANE 44.3%

expected date of next election:

2030

note 1: deposed president Mohamed BAZOUM has been under house arrest since a military coup on 26 July 2023

note 2: on 26 March 2025, the CNSP leader TIANI issued a decree promulgating the Charter of the Refoundation and was sworn in as the country’s president for a transition period of five years

highest court(s):

• High Court of Justice (consists of 7 members);
• Supreme Court (membership NA);
• Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• High Judicial Court members selected from among the legislature and judiciary to 5-year terms;
• 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

subordinate courts:

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

• Alliance for Democracy and the Republic
• Alliance for Democratic Renewal or ARD-Adaltchi-Mutuntchi
• Alliance of Movements for the Emergence of Niger or AMEN AMIN
• Congress for the Republic or CPR-Inganci
• Democratic Alternation for Equity in Niger
• Democratic and Republican Renewal-RDR-Tchanji
• Democratic Movement for the Emergence of Niger Falala
• Democratic Patriots' Rally or RPD Bazara
• National Movement for the Development of Society-Nassara or MNSD-Nassara
• Nigerien Alliance for Democracy and Progress-Zaman Lahiya or ANDP-Zaman Lahiya
• Nigerien Democratic Movement for an African Federation or MODEN/FA Lumana
• Nigerien Party for Democracy and Socialism or PNDS-Tarrayya
• Nigerien Patriotic Movement or MPN-Kishin Kassa
• Nigerien Rally for Democracy and Peace
• Patriotic Movement for the Republic or MPR-Jamhuriya
• Peace, Justice, Progress–Generation Doubara
• Rally for Democracy and Progress-Jama'a or RDP-Jama'a
• Rally for Peace and Progress or RPP Farilla
• Social Democratic Rally or RSD-Gaskiyya
• Social Democratic Party or PSD-Bassira

note: after the 26 July 2023 military coup, the National Council for the Safeguard of the Homeland dissolved the National Assembly and prohibited all political party activity

chief of mission:

Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires Hassane IDI (since 3 August 2023)

chancery:

2204 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 483-4224

FAX:

[1] (202) 483-3169

email address and website:

[email protected]; http://www.embassyofniger.org/

chief of mission:

Ambassador Kathleen FITZGIBBON (since 2 December 2023)

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:

[email protected]; https://ne.usembassy.gov/

description:

three equal horizontal bands of orange (top), white, and green, with an orange disk centered on the white band

meaning:

• orange stands for the northern Sahara regions, white for purity and innocence, and green for hope and the fertile and productive southern and western areas, as well as the Niger River;
• the orange disc represents the sun and the people's sacrifices

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

title:

"L'Honneur de la Patrie" (The Honor of the Fatherland)

lyrics/music:

a government-appointed committee wrote both the lyrics and the music

history:

adopted 2023; replaced previous national anthem, "La Nigérienne" (The Nigerien), that was adopted in 1961

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)

• low-income Sahel economy;
• major instability and humanitarian crises limit economic activity;
• COVID-19 eliminated recent antipoverty gains;
• economy rebounding since December 2020 Nigerian border reopening and new investments;
• uranium resource rich

total:

0.3% (2024 est.)

male:

0.4% (2024 est.)

female:

0.2% (2024 est.)

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

lowest 10%:

3.8% (2021 est.)

highest 10%:

27.8% (2021 est.)

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

production:

427,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

consumption:

426,000 metric tons (2023 est.)

imports:

400 metric tons (2023 est.)

proven reserves:

90 million metric tons (2023 est.)

total petroleum production:

13,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

refined petroleum consumption:

18,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves:

150 million barrels (2021 est.)

production:

26.805 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

consumption:

26.872 million cubic meters (2023 est.)

total subscriptions:

58,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2022 est.) less than 1

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

total:

14,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants:

(2022 est.) less than 1

• the FAN's inventory is comprised of older, typically Soviet-era weapons and equipment, along with smaller quantities of more modern armaments such as unmanned aerial vehicles/drones, air defense systems, and armored vehicles;
• suppliers over the past decade include China, France, Russia, South Africa, Türkiye, and the US (2025)

• 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 the Terrorism reference guide

refugees:

421,795 (2024 est.)

IDPs:

891,565 (2024 est.)

tier rating:

• Tier 2 Watch List — the government did not demonstrate overall increasing efforts to eliminate trafficking compared with the previous reporting period, therefore Niger remained on Tier 2 Watch List for the second consecutive year;
• for more details, go to: https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/niger/