Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria
Nigeria: Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 was 21.0% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
21.0%
Change on year
down 11.3%
World rank
9th
of 36 countries
All-time high
27.1%
in 2003
All-time low
11.9%
in 2011
Years of data
10
2003–2024
Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria, 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria stood at 21.0%.
The figure is down 11.3% on the previous year and up 46.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria peaked at 27.1% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 2011.
That places Nigeria 9th out of 36 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 27.1% | — |
| 2007 | 23.0% | -15.1% |
| 2008 | 14.6% | -36.4% |
| 2011 | 11.9% | -18.2% |
| 2013 | 14.3% | +19.6% |
| 2016 | 23.2% | +62.7% |
| 2018 | 20.9% | -10.1% |
| 2019 | 18.3% | -12.1% |
| 2021 | 23.6% | +28.9% |
| 2024 | 21.0% | -11.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 21.0% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 16.1%, 1.3× the median. (14 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 21.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.6%, 1.1× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 21.5% | 14.6% | 27.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 17.7% | 11.9% | 23.2% | 5 |
| 2020s | 22.3% | 21.0% | 23.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 6 Cameroon 24.3% compare
- 7 Malawi 23.4% compare
- 8 Dominican Republic 21.7% compare
- 10 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 20.4% compare
- 11 Sierra Leone 19.6% compare
- 12 Bangladesh 19.6% 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 percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria?
- Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria was 21.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 27.1% in 2003.
- What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 2011.
- How does Nigeria rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2?
- Nigeria ranks 9th out of 36 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.9%. 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 Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, urban, female (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release