Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest in Nigeria
Nigeria: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest was 5.5% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2021)
5.5%
Change on year
up 62.8%
World rank
8th
of 36 countries
All-time high
8.2%
in 2007
All-time low
1.7%
in 2011
Years of data
8
2003–2021
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest in Nigeria, 2003–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 5.5% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 62.8% on the previous year and up 217.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest in Nigeria peaked at 8.2% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2011.
Nigeria ranks 8th of 36 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 3.8% | — |
| 2007 | 8.2% | +117.5% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -67.8% |
| 2011 | 1.7% | -34.5% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | +11.9% |
| 2016 | 2.3% | +21.6% |
| 2018 | 3.4% | +43.3% |
| 2021 | 5.5% | +62.8% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 5.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.5%, 2.2× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 5.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.9%, 1.1× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.9% | 2.6% | 8.2% | 3 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.7% | 3.4% | 4 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.5% | 5.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 5 Zambia 6.9% compare
- 6 Honduras 6.4% compare
- 7 Benin 6.2% compare
- 9 Mozambique 4.9% compare
- 10 Bangladesh 4.3% compare
- 11 Democratic Republic of Congo 3.3% 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, richest in Nigeria?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest in Nigeria was 5.5% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2% in 2007.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2011.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest?
- Nigeria ranks 8th out of 36 countries with data for 2021.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, richest rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 217.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- 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, richest 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