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 14.4% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
14.4%
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
7th
of 25 countries
All-time high
17.6%
in 2003
All-time low
7.7%
in 2011
Years of data
8
2003–2021
Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria, 2003–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria stood at 14.4%.
The figure is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 86.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria peaked at 17.6% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 2011.
That places Nigeria 7th out of 25 countries with data for 2021, 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 | 17.6% | — |
| 2007 | 11.9% | -32.3% |
| 2008 | 11.7% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 7.7% | -34.0% |
| 2013 | 8.2% | +6.4% |
| 2016 | 16.4% | +100.7% |
| 2018 | 13.9% | -15.4% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | +3.4% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 14.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 15.1%, 95% of the median. (8 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 14.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.9%, 1.3× the median. (9 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.7% | 11.7% | 17.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 11.5% | 7.7% | 16.4% | 4 |
| 2020s | 14.4% | 14.4% | 14.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 4 Senegal 16.1% compare
- 5 Sierra Leone 15.9% compare
- 6 Bangladesh 15.0% compare
- 8 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 12.7% compare
- 9 Honduras 10.9% compare
- 10 Côte d'Ivoire 10.5% 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 14.4% in 2021, 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 17.6% 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 7.7% in 2011.
- How does Nigeria rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2?
- Nigeria ranks 7th out of 25 countries with data for 2021.
- 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 86.8%. 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, richest quintile, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release