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 25.8% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
25.8%
Change on year
up 7.5%
World rank
11th
of 47 countries
All-time high
30.0%
in 2016
All-time low
20.4%
in 2011
Years of data
10
2003–2024
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria, 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria is 25.8%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 7.5% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria peaked at 30.0% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 20.4%, in 2011.
Nigeria ranks 11th of 47 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 |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 24.3% | — |
| 2007 | 28.6% | +17.6% |
| 2008 | 24.3% | -15.1% |
| 2011 | 20.4% | -15.8% |
| 2013 | 25.1% | +22.8% |
| 2016 | 30.0% | +19.6% |
| 2018 | 25.2% | -16.1% |
| 2019 | 22.2% | -11.7% |
| 2021 | 24.0% | +8.1% |
| 2024 | 25.8% | +7.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 25.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 18.3%, 1.4× the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 25.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.5%, 1.2× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.7% | 24.3% | 28.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 24.6% | 20.4% | 30.0% | 5 |
| 2020s | 24.9% | 24.0% | 25.8% | 2 |
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 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 25.8% in 2024, 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 30.0% in 2016.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.4% in 2011.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Nigeria ranks 11th out of 47 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. 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, male (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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