School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Nigeria
Nigeria: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes was 2.81 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Nigeria, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Nigeria is 2.81 years, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.2% on the previous year and down 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 3.2 years in 2013 and was at its lowest, 0.3135 years, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 192nd out of 214 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 life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.3135 years | — |
| 1971 | 0.3393 years | +8.2% |
| 1972 | 0.3774 years | +11.2% |
| 1973 | 0.4214 years | +11.7% |
| 1977 | 0.5451 years | +29.4% |
| 1978 | 0.6426 years | +17.9% |
| 1979 | 0.7799 years | +21.4% |
| 1980 | 0.9709 years | +24.5% |
| 1981 | 1.21 years | +24.5% |
| 1982 | 1.48 years | +22.0% |
| 1983 | 1.75 years | +19.0% |
| 1984 | 2.01 years | +14.7% |
| 1985 | 2.04 years | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 1.62 years | -20.6% |
| 1987 | 1.61 years | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 1.42 years | -11.9% |
| 1990 | 1.44 years | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 1.38 years | -4.1% |
| 2000 | 1.45 years | +4.9% |
| 2001 | 1.59 years | +10.1% |
| 2002 | 1.74 years | +9.3% |
| 2004 | 2.05 years | +17.7% |
| 2005 | 2.03 years | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 1.99 years | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 1.84 years | -7.3% |
| 2008 | 2.04 years | +10.5% |
| 2009 | 2.25 years | +10.5% |
| 2010 | 2.53 years | +12.5% |
| 2011 | 2.58 years | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 2.67 years | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 3.2 years | +19.8% |
| 2014 | 2.6 years | -18.8% |
| 2015 | 2.66 years | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 2.37 years | -10.8% |
| 2018 | 2.43 years | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 2.65 years | +9.0% |
| 2021 | 2.73 years | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 2.81 years | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.4884 years | 0.3135 years | 0.7799 years | 7 |
| 1980s | 1.57 years | 0.9709 years | 2.04 years | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.41 years | 1.38 years | 1.44 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.89 years | 1.45 years | 2.25 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 2.63 years | 2.37 years | 3.2 years | 8 |
| 2020s | 2.73 years | 2.65 years | 2.81 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More education data for Nigeria
- 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 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 5 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.5% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 89.59 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary 89.6% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Nigeria?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Nigeria was 2.81 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 3.2 years in 2013.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3135 years in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- Nigeria ranks 192nd out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. 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, secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release