Enrolment in primary education, female in Nigeria
Nigeria: Enrolment in primary education, female was 16.21 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
16.21 million
Change on year
up 8.5%
World rank
3rd
of 216 countries
All-time high
16.21 million
in 2023
All-time low
1.30 million
in 1970
Years of data
47
1970–2023
Enrolment in primary education, female in Nigeria, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in primary education, female in Nigeria stood at 16.21 million. That is the highest value across all 47 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.5% on the previous year and up 28.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, female in Nigeria peaked at 16.21 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.30 million, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 3rd out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, female in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.30 million | — |
| 1971 | 1.50 million | +15.1% |
| 1972 | 1.72 million | +14.8% |
| 1973 | 1.86 million | +8.6% |
| 1976 | 1.96 million | +5.4% |
| 1977 | 2.63 million | +33.7% |
| 1978 | 3.51 million | +33.8% |
| 1979 | 4.26 million | +21.2% |
| 1980 | 4.70 million | +10.3% |
| 1981 | 5.30 million | +12.7% |
| 1982 | 5.97 million | +12.7% |
| 1983 | 6.15 million | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 6.31 million | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 6.33 million | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 5.77 million | -8.9% |
| 1987 | 5.73 million | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 5.38 million | -6.1% |
| 1989 | 5.72 million | +6.3% |
| 1990 | 5.88 million | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 6.03 million | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 6.53 million | +8.2% |
| 1993 | 6.94 million | +6.2% |
| 1994 | 7.13 million | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 7.01 million | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 6.38 million | -9.1% |
| 1999 | 7.85 million | +23.1% |
| 2000 | 8.41 million | +7.2% |
| 2001 | 8.46 million | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 8.79 million | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 9.18 million | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 9.57 million | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 9.93 million | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 10.37 million | +4.5% |
| 2007 | 9.89 million | -4.6% |
| 2008 | 9.23 million | -6.7% |
| 2009 | 9.71 million | +5.2% |
| 2010 | 9.64 million | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 11.20 million | +16.2% |
| 2012 | 12.01 million | +7.2% |
| 2013 | 12.66 million | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 12.55 million | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 4.02 million | -68.0% |
| 2016 | 12.16 million | +202.6% |
| 2018 | 13.50 million | +11.0% |
| 2020 | 14.74 million | +9.2% |
| 2021 | 14.93 million | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 16.21 million | +8.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.34 million | 1.30 million | 4.26 million | 8 |
| 1980s | 5.74 million | 4.70 million | 6.33 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.72 million | 5.88 million | 7.85 million | 8 |
| 2000s | 9.35 million | 8.41 million | 10.37 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.96 million | 4.02 million | 13.50 million | 8 |
| 2020s | 15.29 million | 14.74 million | 16.21 million | 3 |
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 enrolment in primary education, female in Nigeria?
- Enrolment in primary education, female in Nigeria was 16.21 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, female recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 16.21 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, female recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.30 million in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for enrolment in primary education, female?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in primary education, female rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.0%. 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 Enrolment in primary education, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release