Nigeria experienced a notable 85% decrease in data breaches in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous quarter, according to Surfshark’s latest global data breach analysis. Despite this substantial decline, with approximately 119 thousand accounts breached, Nigeria still ranks 34th globally in terms of the number of affected users.
The global landscape also saw a significant downturn in data breaches, with a 93% drop from 973.7 million leaked accounts in the last quarter of 2024 to 68.3 million in Q1 2025. The United States, Russia, India, Germany, and Spain were the most affected countries during this period.
Luís Costa, Research Lead at Surfshark, commented on this trend, stating, “In Q1 2025, the number of leaked accounts dropped dramatically, following the alarming surge in breaches seen in 2024, particularly in Q3 and Q4. Unlike the previous year, which saw compromised data reach record levels, Q1 2025 experienced a sharp decrease in exposed accounts.”
Despite the positive trend, Costa urged continued vigilance. “Although the number of vulnerable accounts in all major regions decreased in Q1 2025 compared to the previous quarter, people should remain vigilant. Cyberthreats continue to evolve and attackers are constantly adapting their tactics. To protect personal and organizational data, it is essential to follow strong security practices, regularly update passwords, enable 2FA, and stay informed about potential risks,” he advised.
The analysis reveals that throughout 2025 so far, approximately one Nigerian account was compromised every minute. Since 2004, Nigeria has seen a total of 23.2 million user accounts exposed, with 7.3 million unique email addresses involved. This means that, on average, a breached Nigerian email address has been compromised three times. Furthermore, 13 million passwords associated with Nigerian accounts have been leaked, putting 56% of affected users at heightened risk of account takeover, potentially leading to identity theft, extortion, and other cybercrimes. Statistically, about 10% of the Nigerian population has been affected by data breaches since 2004.
Looking at Sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria ranks third in the total number of compromised user accounts since 2004.
The top ten most breached countries in Q1 2025 were the US (16.9M), Russia (4.4M), India (4.2M), Germany (3.9M), Spain (2.4M), the UK (2.2M), France (2.1M), Canada (0.89M), Argentina (0.79M), and South Sudan (0.73M).
When considering breach density (the number of leaked accounts per 1,000 residents), South Sudan (61), Spain (51), the US (49), Germany (46), and Slovenia (45) topped the list.