School enrollment, secondary (% gross) in Nigeria
Nigeria: School enrollment, secondary (% gross) was 46.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, secondary in Nigeria, 1970–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 46.9% for school enrollment, secondary in 2023.
That represents a change of up 3.2% on the previous year and down 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, secondary in Nigeria peaked at 52.8% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 177th out of 203 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
School enrollment, secondary (% gross) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.5% | — |
| 1971 | 4.8% | +8.2% |
| 1972 | 5.4% | +11.2% |
| 1973 | 6.0% | +11.7% |
| 1977 | 7.8% | +29.4% |
| 1978 | 9.2% | +17.9% |
| 1979 | 11.1% | +21.4% |
| 1980 | 13.9% | +24.5% |
| 1981 | 17.3% | +24.5% |
| 1982 | 21.1% | +22.0% |
| 1983 | 25.1% | +19.0% |
| 1984 | 28.8% | +14.7% |
| 1985 | 29.1% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 27.0% | -7.4% |
| 1987 | 26.8% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 23.6% | -11.9% |
| 1990 | 24.0% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 22.8% | -4.8% |
| 2000 | 24.0% | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 26.4% | +10.2% |
| 2002 | 28.9% | +9.4% |
| 2004 | 33.9% | +17.6% |
| 2005 | 33.8% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 33.1% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 30.4% | -8.2% |
| 2008 | 33.6% | +10.5% |
| 2009 | 37.1% | +10.5% |
| 2010 | 41.8% | +12.5% |
| 2011 | 43.0% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 44.5% | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 52.8% | +18.8% |
| 2014 | 42.8% | -19.0% |
| 2015 | 43.8% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 39.3% | -10.3% |
| 2018 | 40.5% | +3.0% |
| 2020 | 44.1% | +9.0% |
| 2021 | 45.4% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 46.9% | +3.2% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 46.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 64.8%, 72% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 46.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 46.9%, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.0% | 4.5% | 11.1% | 7 |
| 1980s | 23.6% | 13.9% | 29.1% | 9 |
| 1990s | 23.4% | 22.8% | 24.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 31.3% | 24.0% | 37.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 43.6% | 39.3% | 52.8% | 8 |
| 2020s | 45.5% | 44.1% | 46.9% | 3 |
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 school enrollment, secondary in Nigeria?
- School enrollment, secondary in Nigeria was 46.9% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, secondary recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 52.8% in 2013.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, secondary recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for school enrollment, secondary?
- Nigeria ranks 177th out of 203 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school enrollment, secondary rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.2%. 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 School enrollment, secondary (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Secondary education completes the provision of basic education that began at the primary level, and aims at laying the foundations for lifelong learning and human development, by offering more subject- or skill-oriented instruction using more specialized teachers.