Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Nigeria
Nigeria: Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both was 6.03 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Nigeria, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2020, population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Nigeria stood at 6.03 million number. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.3% on the previous year and up 29.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Nigeria peaked at 6.03 million number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.57 million number, in 1970.
Nigeria ranks 3rd of 206 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.57 million number | — |
| 1971 | 1.60 million number | +1.9% |
| 1972 | 1.64 million number | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 1.69 million number | +2.7% |
| 1974 | 1.73 million number | +2.5% |
| 1975 | 1.77 million number | +2.4% |
| 1976 | 1.82 million number | +2.5% |
| 1977 | 1.88 million number | +3.8% |
| 1978 | 1.96 million number | +4.1% |
| 1979 | 2.04 million number | +4.0% |
| 1980 | 2.11 million number | +3.7% |
| 1981 | 2.18 million number | +3.1% |
| 1982 | 2.27 million number | +3.9% |
| 1983 | 2.35 million number | +3.6% |
| 1984 | 2.42 million number | +3.3% |
| 1985 | 2.50 million number | +2.9% |
| 1986 | 2.56 million number | +2.5% |
| 1987 | 2.64 million number | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 2.72 million number | +2.9% |
| 1989 | 2.79 million number | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 2.85 million number | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 2.90 million number | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 2.97 million number | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 3.04 million number | +2.1% |
| 1994 | 3.09 million number | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 3.14 million number | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 3.19 million number | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 3.26 million number | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 3.33 million number | +2.3% |
| 1999 | 3.41 million number | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 3.48 million number | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 3.55 million number | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 3.65 million number | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 3.75 million number | +2.9% |
| 2004 | 3.86 million number | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 3.98 million number | +2.9% |
| 2006 | 4.08 million number | +2.7% |
| 2007 | 4.22 million number | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 4.36 million number | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 4.50 million number | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 4.64 million number | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 4.77 million number | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 4.92 million number | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 5.06 million number | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 5.20 million number | +2.7% |
| 2015 | 5.33 million number | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 5.45 million number | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 5.60 million number | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 5.75 million number | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 5.89 million number | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 6.03 million number | +2.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 6.03 million number is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 236,397 number, 25.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 6.03 million number is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 360,057 number, 16.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.77 million number | 1.57 million number | 2.04 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.45 million number | 2.11 million number | 2.79 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.12 million number | 2.85 million number | 3.41 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.94 million number | 3.48 million number | 4.50 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.26 million number | 4.64 million number | 5.89 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.03 million number | 6.03 million number | 6.03 million number | 1 |
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 population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Nigeria?
- Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both in Nigeria was 6.03 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 6.03 million number in 2020.
- What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to primary education, both recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.57 million number in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for population of the official entrance age to primary education, both?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
- Is population of the official entrance age to primary education, both rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.8%. 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 Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to the official entrance age to primary education. The official entrance age is the age at which students would enter a given programme or level of education assuming they start at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, study full-time throughout and progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade. The theoretical entrance age to a given programme or level is typically, but not always, the most common entrance age.