School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria

Nigeria: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes was 8.68 years in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
8.68 years
Change on year
up 3.9%
World rank
170th
of 183 countries
All-time high
9.03 years
in 2005
All-time low
4.19 years
in 1977
Years of data
19
1977–2011

School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria, 1977–2011

02468101977199420111977: 4.2 years1978: 5.3 years1979: 6.2 years1980: 6.7 years1981: 7.5 years1982: 8.4 years1983: 8.7 years1984: 8.9 years1985: 8.6 years1986: 7.4 years1987: 7.2 years1989: 6.6 years1999: 7.6 years2000: 8 years2001: 7.7 years2004: 9 years2005: 9 years2010: 8.4 years2011: 8.7 years

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in years.

Analysis

In 2011, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria stood at 8.68 years.

The figure is up 3.9% on the previous year and up 12.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 9.03 years in 2005 and was at its lowest, 4.19 years, in 1977.

Nigeria ranks 170th of 183 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) in Nigeria, 1977 to 2011.
Year years Change
1977 4.19 years
1978 5.27 years +25.7%
1979 6.23 years +18.3%
1980 6.74 years +8.1%
1981 7.5 years +11.2%
1982 8.37 years +11.7%
1983 8.69 years +3.8%
1984 8.88 years +2.2%
1985 8.6 years -3.1%
1986 7.42 years -13.7%
1987 7.19 years -3.1%
1989 6.65 years -7.6%
1999 7.63 years +14.9%
2000 8 years +4.8%
2001 7.75 years -3.2%
2004 8.96 years +15.7%
2005 9.03 years +0.8%
2010 8.36 years -7.4%
2011 8.68 years +3.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 5.23 years 4.19 years 6.23 years 3
1980s 7.78 years 6.65 years 8.88 years 9
1990s 7.63 years 7.63 years 7.63 years 1
2000s 8.43 years 7.75 years 9.03 years 4
2010s 8.52 years 8.36 years 8.68 years 2

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 167 Yemen 9.1 years compare
  2. 168 Guinea 9.01 years compare
  3. 169 Senegal 8.84 years compare
  4. 171 Ethiopia 8.41 years compare
  5. 172 Pakistan 8.28 years compare
  6. 173 Eritrea 8.03 years compare

See the full ranking of 228 places →

More education data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

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 8.68 years in 2011, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 9.03 years in 2005.
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 170th out of 183 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 12.1%. 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 life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-life-expectancy-primary-to-tertiary-both-sexes-years/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years)
Unit
years
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
228 places, 7,038 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Expected years of schooling is the number of years a child of school entrance age is expected to spend at school, or university, including years spent on repetition. It is the sum of the age-specific enrolment ratios for primary, secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education.