Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria
Nigeria: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 52.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 52.0% for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in 2023.
That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria peaked at 56.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 51.4%, in 2020.
That places Nigeria 45th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 56.2% | — |
| 2006 | 54.8% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 54.2% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 54.0% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 53.9% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 53.6% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 53.1% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 51.9% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 51.9% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 51.5% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 52.8% | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 51.9% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 51.4% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 51.4% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 52.0% | +1.1% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 52.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 51.4%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 52.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 51.5%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 54.6% | 53.9% | 56.2% | 5 |
| 2010s | 52.4% | 51.5% | 53.6% | 7 |
| 2020s | 51.6% | 51.4% | 52.0% | 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 52.0% 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 56.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.4% in 2020.
- How does Nigeria rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- Nigeria ranks 45th 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 up 0.1%. 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 Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release