Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria
Nigeria: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 48.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria stood at 48.0%.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria peaked at 48.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 43.8%, in 2000.
That places Nigeria 156th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 43.8% | — |
| 2006 | 45.2% | +3.2% |
| 2007 | 45.8% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 46.0% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 46.1% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 46.4% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 46.9% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 48.1% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 48.1% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 48.5% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 47.2% | -2.7% |
| 2018 | 48.1% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 48.6% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 48.6% | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 48.0% | -1.1% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 48.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 48.6%, 99% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 48.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 48.5%, 99% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 45.4% | 43.8% | 46.1% | 5 |
| 2010s | 47.6% | 46.4% | 48.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 48.4% | 48.0% | 48.6% | 3 |
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 percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria was 48.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 48.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.8% in 2000.
- How does Nigeria rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Nigeria ranks 156th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release