School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes (number) in Nigeria
Nigeria: School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes (number) was 13.21 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising
School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
In 2020, school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria stood at 13.21 million number. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and up 35.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 13.21 million number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.13 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, upper secondary education, both sexes (number) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.13 million number | — |
| 1971 | 2.17 million number | +2.0% |
| 1972 | 2.21 million number | +2.0% |
| 1973 | 2.27 million number | +2.5% |
| 1974 | 2.34 million number | +2.9% |
| 1975 | 2.41 million number | +3.2% |
| 1976 | 2.49 million number | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 2.56 million number | +2.9% |
| 1978 | 2.64 million number | +3.0% |
| 1979 | 2.72 million number | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 2.81 million number | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 2.89 million number | +3.0% |
| 1982 | 2.95 million number | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 3.01 million number | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 3.07 million number | +2.1% |
| 1985 | 3.15 million number | +2.4% |
| 1986 | 5.15 million number | +63.5% |
| 1987 | 5.32 million number | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 5.52 million number | +3.7% |
| 1989 | 5.73 million number | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 5.95 million number | +3.8% |
| 1991 | 6.17 million number | +3.7% |
| 1992 | 6.37 million number | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 6.59 million number | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 6.82 million number | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 7.04 million number | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 7.26 million number | +3.1% |
| 1997 | 7.45 million number | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 7.64 million number | +2.7% |
| 1999 | 7.85 million number | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 8.04 million number | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 8.21 million number | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 8.34 million number | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 8.49 million number | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 8.65 million number | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 8.82 million number | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 8.99 million number | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 9.14 million number | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 9.32 million number | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 9.52 million number | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 9.75 million number | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 10.01 million number | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 10.27 million number | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 10.56 million number | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 10.87 million number | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 11.21 million number | +3.2% |
| 2016 | 11.59 million number | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 11.96 million number | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 12.36 million number | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 12.79 million number | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 13.21 million number | +3.3% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 13.21 million number is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 753,852 number, 17.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 13.21 million number is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 872,626 number, 15.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes (number) in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | +63.5% | 3.15 million number | 5.15 million number |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.39 million number | 2.13 million number | 2.72 million number | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.96 million number | 2.81 million number | 5.73 million number | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.91 million number | 5.95 million number | 7.85 million number | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.75 million number | 8.04 million number | 9.52 million number | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.14 million number | 9.75 million number | 12.79 million number | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.21 million number | 13.21 million number | 13.21 million number | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More education data for Nigeria
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 74.51 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 75.68 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria?
- School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes in Nigeria was 13.21 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 13.21 million number in 2020.
- What is the lowest school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.13 million number in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes?
- Nigeria ranks 5th out of 205 countries with data for 2020.
- Is school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.4%. 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, upper secondary 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 upper secondary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.