Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Nigeria
Nigeria: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes was 9.07 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Nigeria, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 9.07 million for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 10.29 million in 2010 and was at its lowest, 7.21 million, in 2000.
That places Nigeria 1st out of 204 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 7.54 million | — |
| 2000 | 7.21 million | -4.4% |
| 2004 | 7.90 million | +9.6% |
| 2005 | 8.05 million | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 8.24 million | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 7.90 million | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 9.81 million | +24.1% |
| 2009 | 9.90 million | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 10.29 million | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 9.07 million | -11.9% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 9.07 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 76,741, 118.2× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 9.07 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 224,299, 40.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.54 million | 7.54 million | 7.54 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 8.43 million | 7.21 million | 9.90 million | 7 |
| 2010s | 10.29 million | 10.29 million | 10.29 million | 1 |
| 2020s | 9.07 million | 9.07 million | 9.07 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 2 China 8.25 million
- 3 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 5.23 million
- 4 Ethiopia 4.24 million 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 out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Nigeria?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Nigeria was 9.07 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 10.29 million in 2010.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.21 million in 2000.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Nigeria ranks 1st out of 204 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. 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, published as part of Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release