Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nigeria
Nigeria: Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government was 8.2% in 2013. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nigeria, 2003–2013
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in IMF calculation.
Analysis
In 2013, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nigeria stood at 8.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.5% on the previous year and up 28.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nigeria peaked at 8.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2009.
Nigeria ranks 106th of 123 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | IMF calculation | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 6.4% | — |
| 2004 | 5.7% | -11.1% |
| 2005 | 6.0% | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 7.4% | +24.6% |
| 2007 | 8.1% | +8.3% |
| 2008 | 6.6% | -18.6% |
| 2009 | 5.2% | -20.4% |
| 2010 | 6.2% | +18.0% |
| 2011 | 7.9% | +27.7% |
| 2012 | 8.6% | +9.2% |
| 2013 | 8.2% | -4.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 8.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.4%, 57% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 8.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.2%, 62% of the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.5% | 5.2% | 8.1% | 7 |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 6.2% | 8.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 103 Türkiye 8.6% compare
- 104 Cook Islands 8.5%
- 105 Bahrain 8.4% compare
- 107 Afghanistan 8.2% compare
- 108 Andorra 8.2%
- 109 Romania 8.1% compare
More education data for Nigeria
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 912,245 (2021)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.08 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.24 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.20 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 33.42 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.18 % change on previous year (2021)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1466 units per person (2023)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nigeria?
- Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government in Nigeria was 8.2% in 2013, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.6% in 2012.
- What is the lowest expenditure on education as a percentage of total government recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2009.
- How does Nigeria rank for expenditure on education as a percentage of total government?
- Nigeria ranks 106th out of 123 countries with data for 2013.
- Is expenditure on education as a percentage of total government rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.4%. 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 Expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure (%) (IMF calculation). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release