Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth in Nigeria
Nigeria: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth was 8.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
8.0%
Change on year
up 27.9%
World rank
9th
of 35 countries
All-time high
10.4%
in 2016
All-time low
3.4%
in 2013
Years of data
8
2003–2021
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth in Nigeria, 2003–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 8.0% for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth in 2021.
The figure is up 27.9% on the previous year and up 61.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth in Nigeria peaked at 10.4% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 3.4%, in 2013.
That places Nigeria 9th out of 35 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 8.9% | — |
| 2007 | 9.8% | +9.3% |
| 2008 | 5.2% | -47.2% |
| 2011 | 4.9% | -4.6% |
| 2013 | 3.4% | -30.0% |
| 2016 | 10.4% | +202.4% |
| 2018 | 6.2% | -40.3% |
| 2021 | 8.0% | +27.9% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 8.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.7%, 2.2× the median. (14 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 8.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.2%, 97% of the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.0% | 5.2% | 9.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 6.3% | 3.4% | 10.4% | 4 |
| 2020s | 8.0% | 8.0% | 8.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 6 Benin 13.3% compare
- 7 Mozambique 12.0% compare
- 8 Democratic Republic of Congo 8.2% compare
- 10 Cameroon 6.1% compare
- 11 Honduras 4.8% compare
- 12 Bangladesh 4.7% 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, rural, fourth in Nigeria?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth in Nigeria was 8.0% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 10.4% in 2016.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.4% in 2013.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth?
- Nigeria ranks 9th out of 35 countries with data for 2021.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, fourth rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 61.6%. 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, rural, 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