Percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public in Nigeria
Nigeria: Percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public was 72.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public in Nigeria, 2006–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public in Nigeria stood at 72.1%. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public in Nigeria peaked at 88.2% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 72.1%, in 2023.
That places Nigeria 138th out of 182 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 88.2% | — |
| 2007 | 86.3% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 87.1% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 80.0% | -8.1% |
| 2010 | 78.5% | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 75.8% | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 81.3% | +7.2% |
| 2013 | 81.3% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 77.4% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 77.7% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 81.0% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 77.2% | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 73.7% | -4.6% |
| 2021 | 72.7% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 72.1% | -0.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 72.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.8%, 92% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 72.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 81.2%, 89% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 85.4% | 80.0% | 88.2% | 4 |
| 2010s | 78.8% | 75.8% | 81.3% | 8 |
| 2020s | 72.8% | 72.1% | 73.7% | 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 secondary education in public in Nigeria?
- Percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public in Nigeria was 72.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 88.2% in 2006.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 72.1% in 2023.
- How does Nigeria rank for percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public?
- Nigeria ranks 138th out of 182 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of enrolment in secondary education in public rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.2%. 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 secondary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release