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 59.3% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
59.3%
Change on year
down 16.6%
World rank
3rd
of 37 countries
All-time high
75.3%
in 2013
All-time low
49.2%
in 2003
Years of data
8
2003–2021
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria, 2003–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 59.3% for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.6% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria peaked at 75.3% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 49.2%, in 2003.
That places Nigeria 3rd out of 37 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 49.2% | — |
| 2007 | 62.7% | +27.5% |
| 2008 | 64.6% | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 63.9% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 75.3% | +17.8% |
| 2016 | 74.1% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 71.1% | -4.0% |
| 2021 | 59.3% | -16.6% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 59.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 37.8%, 1.6× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 59.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 41.2%, 1.4× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 58.8% | 49.2% | 64.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 71.1% | 63.9% | 75.3% | 4 |
| 2020s | 59.3% | 59.3% | 59.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 1 Benin 65.2% compare
- 2 Mali 61.8% compare
- 4 Burkina Faso 59.3% compare
- 5 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 57.8% compare
- 6 Senegal 57.4% 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 59.3% in 2021, 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 75.3% in 2013.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.2% in 2003.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 37 countries with data for 2021.
- 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 7.2%. 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 rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, rural, poorest quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release