Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Nigeria
Nigeria: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban was 20.9% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Nigeria, 2003–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Nigeria is 20.9%, measured in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.3% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Nigeria peaked at 27.7% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 2007.
That places Nigeria 13th out of 38 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 27.7% | — |
| 2007 | 15.5% | -44.1% |
| 2008 | 24.5% | +58.3% |
| 2011 | 18.8% | -23.2% |
| 2013 | 26.8% | +42.4% |
| 2016 | 26.1% | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 23.6% | -9.5% |
| 2021 | 20.9% | -11.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 20.9% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 20.9%, 1.0× the median. (15 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 20.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 30.7%, 68% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22.6% | 15.5% | 27.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 23.8% | 18.8% | 26.8% | 4 |
| 2020s | 20.9% | 20.9% | 20.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
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, urban in Nigeria?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Nigeria was 20.9% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 27.7% in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 2007.
- How does Nigeria rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban?
- Nigeria ranks 13th out of 38 countries with data for 2021.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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, urban, richest quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release