We present a Raman scattering study of the anharmonic phonon decay of the , and E 1 (LO) phonons in InN nanowires over the 80–400 K temperature range. While the temperature-dependent anharmonic decay in the nanowires is similar to that found for bulk InN, the background contribution to the phonon lifetime is strongly reduced as a result of the improved crystalline quality. High-resolution measurements reveal a remarkably long lifetime of the mode. From the comparison between the frequencies measured in the nanowires with those of the thin film we obtain the deformation potentials for the mode.