School age population, secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria

Nigeria: School age population, secondary education, both sexes was 27.80 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
27.80 million number
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
5th
of 205 countries
All-time high
27.80 million number
in 2020
All-time low
8.04 million number
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2020

School age population, secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria, 1970–2020

10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M30.0M197019952020

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2020, school age population, secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria stood at 27.80 million number. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 35.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 27.80 million number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 8.04 million number, in 1970.

Nigeria ranks 5th of 205 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.

School age population, secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for School age population, secondary education, both sexes (number) in Nigeria, 1970 to 2020.
Year number Change
1970 8.04 million number
1971 8.26 million number +2.7%
1972 8.47 million number +2.4%
1973 8.69 million number +2.6%
1974 8.93 million number +2.8%
1975 9.20 million number +3.0%
1976 9.49 million number +3.2%
1977 9.75 million number +2.7%
1978 10.02 million number +2.8%
1979 10.31 million number +2.9%
1980 10.61 million number +2.9%
1981 10.90 million number +2.8%
1982 11.16 million number +2.3%
1983 11.44 million number +2.5%
1984 11.77 million number +2.8%
1985 12.14 million number +3.2%
1986 10.98 million number -9.6%
1987 11.35 million number +3.4%
1988 11.76 million number +3.6%
1989 12.19 million number +3.7%
1990 12.64 million number +3.7%
1991 13.10 million number +3.7%
1992 13.52 million number +3.2%
1993 13.94 million number +3.1%
1994 14.37 million number +3.1%
1995 14.81 million number +3.0%
1996 15.24 million number +2.9%
1997 15.61 million number +2.4%
1998 15.97 million number +2.3%
1999 16.32 million number +2.2%
2000 16.68 million number +2.2%
2001 17.02 million number +2.1%
2002 17.30 million number +1.7%
2003 17.61 million number +1.8%
2004 17.94 million number +1.9%
2005 18.30 million number +2.0%
2006 18.68 million number +2.1%
2007 19.04 million number +1.9%
2008 19.47 million number +2.2%
2009 19.95 million number +2.5%
2010 20.48 million number +2.7%
2011 21.05 million number +2.8%
2012 21.64 million number +2.8%
2013 22.30 million number +3.0%
2014 23.00 million number +3.2%
2015 23.76 million number +3.3%
2016 24.56 million number +3.4%
2017 25.33 million number +3.2%
2018 26.14 million number +3.2%
2019 26.97 million number +3.2%
2020 27.80 million number +3.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 9.12 million number 8.04 million number 10.31 million number 10
1980s 11.43 million number 10.61 million number 12.19 million number 10
1990s 14.55 million number 12.64 million number 16.32 million number 10
2000s 18.20 million number 16.68 million number 19.95 million number 10
2010s 23.52 million number 20.48 million number 26.97 million number 10
2020s 27.80 million number 27.80 million number 27.80 million number 1

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 2 China 99.10 million number compare
  2. 3 Pakistan 31.99 million number compare
  3. 4 Indonesia 27.96 million number compare
  4. 6 United States 25.05 million number compare
  5. 7 Brazil 24.56 million number compare
  6. 8 Bangladesh 21.46 million number compare

See the full ranking of 250 places →

More education data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria?
School age population, secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria was 27.80 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, secondary education, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 27.80 million number in 2020.
What is the lowest school age population, secondary education, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 8.04 million number in 1970.
How does Nigeria rank for school age population, secondary education, both sexes?
Nigeria ranks 5th out of 205 countries with data for 2020.
Is school age population, secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.7%. 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 School age population, secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-secondary-education-both-sexes-number/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, secondary education, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
250 places, 12,261 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to secondary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.