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 18.3% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Latest (2021)
18.3%
Change on year
up 60.5%
World rank
6th
of 24 countries
All-time high
18.8%
in 2003
All-time low
8.7%
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 18.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 60.5% on the previous year and up 109.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria peaked at 18.8% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 8.7%, in 2011.
Nigeria ranks 6th of 24 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 18.8% | — |
| 2007 | 11.4% | -39.3% |
| 2008 | 13.8% | +20.3% |
| 2011 | 8.7% | -36.7% |
| 2013 | 8.8% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 14.5% | +65.4% |
| 2018 | 11.4% | -21.6% |
| 2021 | 18.3% | +60.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 18.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 22.9%, 80% of the median. (8 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 18.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 14.7%, 1.2× the median. (8 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.7% | 11.4% | 18.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 10.9% | 8.7% | 14.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 18.3% | 18.3% | 18.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 3 Sierra Leone 28.0% compare
- 4 Malawi 27.5% compare
- 5 Guatemala 24.1% compare
- 7 Côte d'Ivoire 17.8% compare
- 8 Burkina Faso 16.0% compare
- 9 Bangladesh 11.5% 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 18.3% 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 18.8% 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 8.7% in 2011.
- How does Nigeria rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2?
- Nigeria ranks 6th out of 24 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 109.9%. 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, rural, 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