Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria
Nigeria: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes was 65.6% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria, 1970–2016
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2016, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria stood at 65.6%.
That represents a change of down 6.7% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 77.2% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 23.3%, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 184th out of 197 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 23.3% | — |
| 1971 | 25.2% | +8.2% |
| 1972 | 27.7% | +10.0% |
| 1973 | 28.9% | +4.2% |
| 1977 | 34.5% | +19.7% |
| 1978 | 43.6% | +26.3% |
| 1979 | 51.6% | +18.3% |
| 1980 | 55.7% | +7.9% |
| 1981 | 61.7% | +10.8% |
| 1982 | 69.0% | +11.7% |
| 1983 | 71.3% | +3.5% |
| 1984 | 72.6% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 69.9% | -3.7% |
| 1986 | 64.3% | -8.0% |
| 1987 | 62.2% | -3.3% |
| 1989 | 57.0% | -8.3% |
| 1990 | 59.0% | +3.5% |
| 1999 | 61.5% | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 64.4% | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 64.3% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 66.5% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 70.6% | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 71.1% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 71.3% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 65.5% | -8.2% |
| 2008 | 62.2% | -5.1% |
| 2009 | 64.7% | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 66.8% | +3.3% |
| 2011 | 70.5% | +5.5% |
| 2012 | 72.1% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 77.2% | +7.2% |
| 2014 | 70.3% | -9.0% |
| 2016 | 65.6% | -6.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 33.5% | 23.3% | 51.6% | 7 |
| 1980s | 64.8% | 55.7% | 72.6% | 9 |
| 1990s | 60.3% | 59.0% | 61.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 66.7% | 62.2% | 71.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 70.4% | 65.6% | 77.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
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 gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria was 65.6% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 77.2% in 2013.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.3% in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Nigeria ranks 184th out of 197 countries with data for 2016.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. 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 Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total enrollment in primary and secondary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the total population of official primary and secondary education age. GER can exceed 100% due to the inclusion of over-aged and under-aged students because of early or late school entrance and grade repetition.