Girls and boys who are out of school in Nigeria
Nigeria: Girls and boys who are out of school was 4.68 million girls in 2023. ▲ Rising
Girls and boys who are out of school in Nigeria, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in girls.
Analysis
The most recent figure for girls and boys who are out of school in Nigeria is 4.68 million girls, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 19.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, girls and boys who are out of school in Nigeria peaked at 5.84 million girls in 2010 and was at its lowest, 4.14 million girls, in 2000.
Nigeria ranks 1st of 180 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Girls and boys who are out of school in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | girls | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 4.28 million girls | — |
| 2000 | 4.14 million girls | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 4.42 million girls | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 4.48 million girls | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 4.52 million girls | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 4.78 million girls | +5.7% |
| 2008 | 5.63 million girls | +17.8% |
| 2009 | 5.68 million girls | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 5.84 million girls | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 4.68 million girls | -19.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.28 million girls | 4.28 million girls | 4.28 million girls | 1 |
| 2000s | 4.81 million girls | 4.14 million girls | 5.68 million girls | 7 |
| 2010s | 5.84 million girls | 5.84 million girls | 5.84 million girls | 1 |
| 2020s | 4.68 million girls | 4.68 million girls | 4.68 million girls | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 2 China 3.91 million girls
- 3 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2.65 million girls
- 4 Ethiopia 2.33 million girls 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 girls and boys who are out of school in Nigeria?
- Girls and boys who are out of school in Nigeria was 4.68 million girls in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest girls and boys who are out of school recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 5.84 million girls in 2010.
- What is the lowest girls and boys who are out of school recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.14 million girls in 2000.
- How does Nigeria rank for girls and boys who are out of school?
- Nigeria ranks 1st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is girls and boys who are out of school rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.9%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Girls and boys who are out of school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Girls in the official primary school age range who are not enrolled in either primary or secondary education.