Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth in Nigeria
Nigeria: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth was 9.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
9.0%
Change on year
up 40.0%
World rank
7th
of 36 countries
All-time high
13.6%
in 2007
All-time low
3.5%
in 2011
Years of data
8
2003–2021
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth in Nigeria, 2003–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 9.0% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 40.0% on the previous year and up 153.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth in Nigeria peaked at 13.6% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 3.5%, in 2011.
Nigeria ranks 7th of 36 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 13.2% | — |
| 2007 | 13.6% | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 7.9% | -41.7% |
| 2011 | 3.5% | -55.4% |
| 2013 | 5.9% | +67.0% |
| 2016 | 11.3% | +91.2% |
| 2018 | 6.4% | -43.4% |
| 2021 | 9.0% | +40.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 9.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.1%, 2.9× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 9.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.3%, 1.1× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 11.6% | 7.9% | 13.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 6.8% | 3.5% | 11.3% | 4 |
| 2020s | 9.0% | 9.0% | 9.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 4 Mozambique 13.8% compare
- 5 Gambia 12.3% compare
- 6 Benin 10.3% compare
- 8 Zambia 8.3% compare
- 9 Democratic Republic of Congo 7.8% compare
- 10 Bangladesh 6.1% 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 children of primary school age, fourth in Nigeria?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth in Nigeria was 9.0% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 13.6% in 2007.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.5% in 2011.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth?
- Nigeria ranks 7th out of 36 countries with data for 2021.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 153.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, fourth 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