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 19.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
19.7%
Change on year
up 61.3%
World rank
5th
of 22 countries
All-time high
19.7%
in 2021
All-time low
9.0%
in 2013
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 19.7%. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is up 61.3% on the previous year and up 97.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 in Nigeria peaked at 19.7% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 9.0%, in 2013.
That places Nigeria 5th out of 22 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 | 15.7% | — |
| 2007 | 11.2% | -28.4% |
| 2008 | 14.6% | +30.4% |
| 2011 | 9.9% | -32.0% |
| 2013 | 9.0% | -9.5% |
| 2016 | 16.5% | +82.9% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | -26.0% |
| 2021 | 19.7% | +61.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 19.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 24.8%, 79% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 19.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 13.0%, 1.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.8% | 11.2% | 15.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 11.9% | 9.0% | 16.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 19.7% | 19.7% | 19.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 2 Malawi 31.7% compare
- 3 Guatemala 30.2% compare
- 4 Sierra Leone 29.9% compare
- 6 Burkina Faso 15.4% compare
- 7 Bangladesh 14.3% compare
- 8 Dominican Republic 12.1% 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 19.7% 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 19.7% in 2021.
- What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2 recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.0% in 2013.
- How does Nigeria rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in primary education who are at least 2?
- Nigeria ranks 5th out of 22 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 97.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, male (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release