Average years of schooling in Niger
Niger: Average years of schooling was 3.04 years in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Average years of schooling in Niger, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
Niger recorded 3.04 years for average years of schooling in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
The figure is up 55.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling in Niger peaked at 3.04 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.01 years, in 1870.
Niger ranks 111th of 111 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Average years of schooling in Niger, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0.01 years | — |
| 1875 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1880 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1885 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1895 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1905 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1910 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1915 | 0.01 years | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 0.07 years | +600.0% |
| 1925 | 0.12 years | +71.4% |
| 1930 | 0.16 years | +33.3% |
| 1935 | 0.24 years | +50.0% |
| 1940 | 0.27 years | +12.5% |
| 1945 | 0.3 years | +11.1% |
| 1950 | 0.33 years | +10.0% |
| 1955 | 0.35 years | +6.1% |
| 1960 | 0.38 years | +8.6% |
| 1965 | 0.4 years | +5.3% |
| 1970 | 0.45 years | +12.5% |
| 1975 | 0.53 years | +17.8% |
| 1980 | 0.67 years | +26.4% |
| 1985 | 0.85 years | +26.9% |
| 1990 | 1.08 years | +27.1% |
| 1995 | 1.28 years | +18.5% |
| 2000 | 1.43 years | +11.7% |
| 2005 | 1.62 years | +13.3% |
| 2010 | 1.95 years | +20.4% |
| 2015 | 2.44 years | +25.1% |
| 2020 | 3.04 years | +24.6% |
Niger compared with similar countries
- Niger's 3.04 years is below the median for low income countries, which is 4.99 years, 61% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Niger's 3.04 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.27 years, 48% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Average years of schooling in Niger changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920 | +600.0% | 0.01 years | 0.07 years |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 2 |
| 1900s | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 2 |
| 1910s | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 0.01 years | 2 |
| 1920s | 0.095 years | 0.07 years | 0.12 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 0.2 years | 0.16 years | 0.24 years | 2 |
| 1940s | 0.285 years | 0.27 years | 0.3 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 0.34 years | 0.33 years | 0.35 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 0.39 years | 0.38 years | 0.4 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 0.49 years | 0.45 years | 0.53 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 0.76 years | 0.67 years | 0.85 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.18 years | 1.08 years | 1.28 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.52 years | 1.43 years | 1.62 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.19 years | 1.95 years | 2.44 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 3.04 years | 3.04 years | 3.04 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Niger
More education data for Niger
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 28,148 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 208,506 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 94,973 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 98,608 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 870,368 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.00 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.6666 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1111 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling in Niger?
- Average years of schooling in Niger was 3.04 years in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling recorded in Niger?
- The highest recorded value was 3.04 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling recorded in Niger?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.01 years in 1870.
- How does Niger rank for average years of schooling?
- Niger ranks 111th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is average years of schooling rising or falling in Niger?
- Over the last ten years it is up 55.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Niger data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average years of formal education for individuals aged 15-64.