School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria
Nigeria: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes was 8.22 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
8.22 years
Change on year
up 6.0%
World rank
193rd
of 213 countries
All-time high
8.57 years
in 2013
All-time low
2.83 years
in 1970
Years of data
37
1970–2023
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2023, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria stood at 8.22 years.
The figure is up 6.0% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 8.57 years in 2013 and was at its lowest, 2.83 years, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 193rd out of 213 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.83 years | — |
| 1971 | 3.05 years | +7.9% |
| 1972 | 3.35 years | +9.9% |
| 1973 | 3.49 years | +4.2% |
| 1977 | 4.14 years | +18.6% |
| 1978 | 5.2 years | +25.7% |
| 1979 | 6.14 years | +18.0% |
| 1980 | 6.62 years | +7.8% |
| 1981 | 7.3 years | +10.3% |
| 1982 | 8.11 years | +11.1% |
| 1983 | 8.37 years | +3.2% |
| 1984 | 8.56 years | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 8.2 years | -4.1% |
| 1986 | 6.99 years | -14.8% |
| 1987 | 6.76 years | -3.3% |
| 1989 | 6.2 years | -8.2% |
| 1990 | 6.43 years | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 7.12 years | +10.9% |
| 2000 | 7.45 years | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 7.14 years | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 7.36 years | +3.1% |
| 2004 | 8.12 years | +10.3% |
| 2005 | 8.14 years | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 8.13 years | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 7.21 years | -11.3% |
| 2008 | 6.87 years | -4.7% |
| 2009 | 7.16 years | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 7.42 years | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 7.66 years | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 7.82 years | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 8.57 years | +9.5% |
| 2014 | 7.75 years | -9.5% |
| 2016 | 7.21 years | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 7.33 years | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 7.71 years | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 7.76 years | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 8.22 years | +6.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.03 years | 2.83 years | 6.14 years | 7 |
| 1980s | 7.46 years | 6.2 years | 8.56 years | 9 |
| 1990s | 6.77 years | 6.43 years | 7.12 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 7.51 years | 6.87 years | 8.14 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 7.68 years | 7.21 years | 8.57 years | 7 |
| 2020s | 7.9 years | 7.71 years | 8.22 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More education data for Nigeria
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,021 tertiary education (2022)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0497 % change on previous year (2014)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 913,305 (2021)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre-primary education 1 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Nigeria was 8.22 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.57 years in 2013.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.83 years in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Nigeria ranks 193rd out of 213 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. 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 life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release