Primary education, teachers in Nigeria
Nigeria: Primary education, teachers was 913,305 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Primary education, teachers in Nigeria, 1970–2021
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 913,305 for primary education, teachers in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.9% on the previous year and up 59.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, teachers in Nigeria peaked at 913,579 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 103,152, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 5th out of 204 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Primary education, teachers in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 103,152 | — |
| 1971 | 116,640 | +13.1% |
| 1972 | 130,434 | +11.8% |
| 1973 | 136,142 | +4.4% |
| 1976 | 144,351 | +6.0% |
| 1977 | 177,221 | +22.8% |
| 1978 | 251,362 | +41.8% |
| 1979 | 291,457 | +16.0% |
| 1980 | 301,427 | +3.4% |
| 1981 | 343,551 | +14.0% |
| 1982 | 369,636 | +7.6% |
| 1983 | 386,826 | +4.7% |
| 1984 | 383,989 | -0.7% |
| 1985 | 359,701 | -6.3% |
| 1986 | 308,072 | -14.4% |
| 1987 | 292,821 | -5.0% |
| 1988 | 308,182 | +5.2% |
| 1989 | 344,221 | +11.7% |
| 1990 | 331,915 | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 353,600 | +6.5% |
| 1992 | 384,212 | +8.7% |
| 1993 | 428,097 | +11.4% |
| 1994 | 435,210 | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 423,059 | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 416,745 | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 432,096 | +3.7% |
| 2000 | 446,405 | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 488,164 | +9.4% |
| 2002 | 491,751 | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 590,655 | +20.1% |
| 2004 | 597,532 | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 599,172 | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 565,646 | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 466,784 | -17.5% |
| 2010 | 574,078 | +23.0% |
| 2018 | 913,579 | +59.1% |
| 2020 | 823,581 | -9.9% |
| 2021 | 913,305 | +10.9% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 913,305 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 46,016, 19.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 913,305 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50,688, 18.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 168,845 | 103,152 | 291,457 | 8 |
| 1980s | 339,843 | 292,821 | 386,826 | 10 |
| 1990s | 400,617 | 331,915 | 435,210 | 8 |
| 2000s | 530,764 | 446,405 | 599,172 | 8 |
| 2010s | 743,828 | 574,078 | 913,579 | 2 |
| 2020s | 868,443 | 823,581 | 913,305 | 2 |
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 primary education, teachers in Nigeria?
- Primary education, teachers in Nigeria was 913,305 in 2021, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, teachers recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 913,579 in 2018.
- What is the lowest primary education, teachers recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 103,152 in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for primary education, teachers?
- Nigeria ranks 5th out of 204 countries with data for 2021.
- Is primary education, teachers rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 59.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, teachers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.