School life expectancy, primary and lower … life both sexes lower in Nigeria
Nigeria: School life expectancy, primary and lower … life both sexes lower was 7.01 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
7.01 years
Change on year
up 7.8%
World rank
179th
of 200 countries
All-time high
7.25 years
in 2006
All-time low
5.94 years
in 2008
Years of data
20
1999–2023
School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Nigeria, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Nigeria is 7.01 years, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 7.8% on the previous year and up 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 7.25 years in 2006 and was at its lowest, 5.94 years, in 2008.
Nigeria ranks 179th of 200 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
School life expectancy, primary and lower … life both sexes lower in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 6.5 years | — |
| 2000 | 6.78 years | +4.4% |
| 2001 | 6.41 years | -5.4% |
| 2002 | 6.59 years | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 7.16 years | +8.8% |
| 2005 | 7.21 years | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 7.25 years | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 6.39 years | -11.8% |
| 2008 | 5.94 years | -7.1% |
| 2009 | 6.11 years | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 6.2 years | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 6.4 years | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 6.47 years | +1.2% |
| 2013 | 6.85 years | +5.9% |
| 2014 | 6.59 years | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 6.09 years | -7.5% |
| 2018 | 6.29 years | +3.2% |
| 2020 | 6.49 years | +3.2% |
| 2021 | 6.51 years | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 7.01 years | +7.8% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 7.01 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 8.68 years, 81% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 7.01 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.5 years, 83% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.5 years | 6.5 years | 6.5 years | 1 |
| 2000s | 6.65 years | 5.94 years | 7.25 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 6.41 years | 6.09 years | 6.85 years | 7 |
| 2020s | 6.67 years | 6.49 years | 7.01 years | 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 life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Nigeria?
- School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes in Nigeria was 7.01 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 7.25 years in 2006.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.94 years in 2008.
- How does Nigeria rank for school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes?
- Nigeria ranks 179th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release