Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Nigeria
Nigeria: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher was 51.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Nigeria, 2016–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 51.6% for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in 2024. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is up 21.1% on the previous year and up 27.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Nigeria peaked at 51.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 38.8%, in 2018.
That places Nigeria 81st out of 103 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 40.4% | — |
| 2018 | 38.8% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 46.5% | +19.9% |
| 2021 | 42.6% | -8.4% |
| 2024 | 51.6% | +21.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 41.9% | 38.8% | 46.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 47.1% | 42.6% | 51.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More education data for Nigeria
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 913,305 (2021)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 1 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 5 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.5% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 89.59 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary 89.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Nigeria?
- Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in Nigeria was 51.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.8% in 2018.
- How does Nigeria rank for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher?
- Nigeria ranks 81st out of 103 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release