School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Nigeria
Nigeria: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) was 8.15 years in 2011. ▲ Rising
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria, 1977–2011
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 8.15 years for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in 2011.
The figure is up 3.5% on the previous year and up 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 8.71 years in 1984 and was at its lowest, 4.19 years, in 1977.
That places Nigeria 172nd out of 186 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | 4.19 years | — |
| 1978 | 5.26 years | +25.6% |
| 1979 | 6.22 years | +18.3% |
| 1980 | 6.72 years | +7.9% |
| 1981 | 7.42 years | +10.5% |
| 1982 | 8.25 years | +11.1% |
| 1983 | 8.52 years | +3.3% |
| 1984 | 8.71 years | +2.2% |
| 1985 | 8.38 years | -3.8% |
| 1986 | 7.17 years | -14.4% |
| 1987 | 6.93 years | -3.3% |
| 1989 | 6.41 years | -7.6% |
| 1999 | 7.41 years | +15.7% |
| 2000 | 7.77 years | +4.8% |
| 2001 | 7.46 years | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 7.75 years | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 8.6 years | +10.9% |
| 2005 | 8.64 years | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 7.88 years | -8.9% |
| 2011 | 8.15 years | +3.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 8.15 years is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.12 years, 73% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 8.15 years is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.16 years, 80% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.22 years | 4.19 years | 6.22 years | 3 |
| 1980s | 7.61 years | 6.41 years | 8.71 years | 9 |
| 1990s | 7.41 years | 7.41 years | 7.41 years | 1 |
| 2000s | 8.04 years | 7.46 years | 8.64 years | 5 |
| 2010s | 8.01 years | 7.88 years | 8.15 years | 2 |
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 to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria?
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria was 8.15 years in 2011, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.71 years in 1984.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.19 years in 1977.
- How does Nigeria rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- Nigeria ranks 172nd out of 186 countries with data for 2011.
- Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. 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 to tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release