Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second in Nigeria
Nigeria: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second was 33.4% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second in Nigeria, 2003–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second in Nigeria is 33.4%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.9% on the previous year and down 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second in Nigeria peaked at 50.9% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 33.4%, in 2021.
That places Nigeria 6th 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, second in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 43.5% | — |
| 2007 | 50.9% | +17.0% |
| 2008 | 41.9% | -17.7% |
| 2011 | 35.4% | -15.4% |
| 2013 | 39.9% | +12.5% |
| 2016 | 45.2% | +13.3% |
| 2018 | 37.9% | -16.0% |
| 2021 | 33.4% | -11.9% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 33.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.0%, 5.6× the median. (14 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 33.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 21.6%, 1.5× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 45.4% | 41.9% | 50.9% | 3 |
| 2010s | 39.6% | 35.4% | 45.2% | 4 |
| 2020s | 33.4% | 33.4% | 33.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 3 Burkina Faso 39.7% compare
- 4 Mozambique 38.7% compare
- 5 Benin 34.0% compare
- 7 Zambia 22.8% compare
- 8 Gambia 21.6% compare
- 9 Democratic Republic of Congo 19.7% 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, second in Nigeria?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second in Nigeria was 33.4% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 50.9% in 2007.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.4% in 2021.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second?
- Nigeria ranks 6th out of 35 countries with data for 2021.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, rural, second rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.7%. 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, second 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