Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth in Nigeria
Nigeria: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth was 18.1% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Latest (2021)
18.1%
Change on year
down 3.1%
World rank
19th
of 42 countries
All-time high
33.1%
in 2003
All-time low
17.4%
in 2011
Years of data
8
2003–2021
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth in Nigeria, 2003–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 18.1% for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth in 2021.
That represents a change of down 3.1% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth in Nigeria peaked at 33.1% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 17.4%, in 2011.
That places Nigeria 19th out of 42 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 33.1% | — |
| 2007 | 17.5% | -47.0% |
| 2008 | 24.9% | +42.4% |
| 2011 | 17.4% | -30.3% |
| 2013 | 28.0% | +61.3% |
| 2016 | 22.9% | -18.2% |
| 2018 | 18.7% | -18.5% |
| 2021 | 18.1% | -3.1% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 18.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 33.6%, 54% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 18.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 44.4%, 41% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.2% | 17.5% | 33.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 21.8% | 17.4% | 28.0% | 4 |
| 2020s | 18.1% | 18.1% | 18.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 16 Ghana 19.1% compare
- 17 Mexico 18.6% compare
- 18 Sierra Leone 18.6% compare
- 20 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 17.1% compare
- 21 El Salvador 16.8% compare
- 22 China 16.0% 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 youth of upper secondary school age, fourth in Nigeria?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth in Nigeria was 18.1% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 33.1% in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.4% in 2011.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth?
- Nigeria ranks 19th out of 42 countries with data for 2021.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, fourth rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. 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 youth of upper secondary 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