Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria
Nigeria: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 22.9% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
22.9%
Change on year
down 4.6%
World rank
45th
of 206 countries
All-time high
33.0%
in 2000
All-time low
21.3%
in 2006
Years of data
26
2000–2025
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria, 2000–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 22.9% for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in 2025.
The figure is down 4.6% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria peaked at 33.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 21.3%, in 2006.
Nigeria ranks 45th of 206 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 33.0% | — |
| 2001 | 30.4% | -7.9% |
| 2002 | 27.3% | -10.2% |
| 2003 | 24.6% | -9.9% |
| 2004 | 22.7% | -7.7% |
| 2005 | 21.7% | -4.4% |
| 2006 | 21.3% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 21.4% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 21.7% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 22.6% | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 24.0% | +6.2% |
| 2011 | 25.5% | +6.2% |
| 2012 | 26.5% | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 27.1% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 27.4% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 27.8% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 27.4% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 26.7% | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 26.8% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 27.0% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 27.2% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 26.5% | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 26.0% | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 25.2% | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 24.0% | -4.8% |
| 2025 | 22.9% | -4.6% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 22.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.4%, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 22.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 34.3%, 67% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.7% | 21.3% | 33.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 26.6% | 24.0% | 27.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.3% | 22.9% | 27.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 42 El Salvador 26.7% compare
- 43 Malawi 26.5% compare
- 44 Micronesia, Federated States of 26.3% compare
- 46 Solomon Islands 22.8% compare
- 47 Trinidad and Tobago 22.1% compare
- 48 Bahamas 21.9% 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria was 22.9% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 33.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.3% in 2006.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Nigeria ranks 45th out of 206 countries with data for 2025.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release