Theoretical duration of primary education (years) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Theoretical duration of primary education (years) was 6 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
6 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
29th
of 224 countries
All-time high
6 years
in 1970
All-time low
6 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Theoretical duration of primary education in Nigeria, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 6 years for theoretical duration of primary education in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, theoretical duration of primary education in Nigeria peaked at 6 years in 1970 and was at its lowest, 6 years, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 29th out of 224 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Theoretical duration of primary education (years) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 6 years | — |
| 1971 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 6 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 6 years | +0.0% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 6 years is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6 years, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 6 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6 years, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 6 years | 6 years | 6 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 29 Aruba 6 years compare
- 29 Afghanistan 6 years compare
- 29 Angola 6 years compare
- 29 Andorra 6 years compare
- 29 Argentina 6 years compare
- 29 American Samoa 6 years compare
- 29 Burundi 6 years compare
- 29 Belgium 6 years compare
- 29 Benin 6 years compare
- 29 Burkina Faso 6 years compare
- 29 Bahrain 6 years compare
- 29 Bahamas 6 years compare
- 29 Belize 6 years compare
- 29 Bermuda 6 years compare
- 29 Bolivia 6 years compare
- 29 Barbados 6 years compare
- 29 Brunei 6 years compare
- 29 Bhutan 6 years compare
- 29 Central African Republic 6 years compare
- 29 Canada 6 years compare
- 29 Switzerland 6 years compare
- 29 Chile 6 years compare
- 29 China 6 years compare
- 29 Cote d'Ivoire 6 years compare
- 29 Cameroon 6 years compare
- 29 Democratic Republic of Congo 6 years compare
- 29 Congo 6 years compare
- 29 Cook Islands 6 years compare
- 29 Cape Verde 6 years compare
- 29 Costa Rica 6 years compare
- 29 Cuba 6 years compare
- 29 Curacao 6 years compare
- 29 Cayman Islands 6 years compare
- 29 Cyprus 6 years compare
- 29 Dominican Republic 6 years compare
- 29 Ecuador 6 years compare
- 29 Egypt 6 years compare
- 29 Spain 6 years compare
- 29 Estonia 6 years compare
- 29 Ethiopia 6 years compare
- 29 Finland 6 years compare
- 29 Fiji 6 years compare
- 29 Micronesia (country) 6 years compare
- 29 United Kingdom 6 years compare
- 29 Georgia 6 years compare
- 29 Ghana 6 years compare
- 29 Gibraltar 6 years compare
- 29 Guinea 6 years compare
- 29 Gambia 6 years compare
- 29 Guinea-Bissau 6 years compare
- 29 Equatorial Guinea 6 years compare
- 29 Greece 6 years compare
- 29 Guatemala 6 years compare
- 29 Guyana 6 years compare
- 29 Hong Kong 6 years compare
- 29 Honduras 6 years compare
- 29 Haiti 6 years compare
- 29 Indonesia 6 years compare
- 29 Iran 6 years compare
- 29 Iraq 6 years compare
- 29 Israel 6 years compare
- 29 Jamaica 6 years compare
- 29 Jordan 6 years compare
- 29 Japan 6 years compare
- 29 Kenya 6 years compare
- 29 Cambodia 6 years compare
- 29 Kiribati 6 years compare
- 29 South Korea 6 years compare
- 29 Lebanon 6 years compare
- 29 Liberia 6 years compare
- 29 Libya 6 years compare
- 29 Luxembourg 6 years compare
- 29 Latvia 6 years compare
- 29 Macao 6 years compare
- 29 Morocco 6 years compare
- 29 Maldives 6 years compare
- 29 Mexico 6 years compare
- 29 Marshall Islands 6 years compare
- 29 Mali 6 years compare
- 29 Malta 6 years compare
- 29 Mauritania 6 years compare
- 29 Mauritius 6 years compare
- 29 Malawi 6 years compare
- 29 Malaysia 6 years compare
- 29 Niger 6 years compare
- 29 Nicaragua 6 years compare
- 29 Niue 6 years compare
- 29 Netherlands 6 years compare
- 29 Nauru 6 years compare
- 29 New Zealand 6 years compare
- 29 Panama 6 years compare
- 29 Peru 6 years compare
- 29 Philippines 6 years compare
- 29 Palau 6 years compare
- 29 Papua New Guinea 6 years compare
- 29 Puerto Rico 6 years compare
- 29 Portugal 6 years compare
- 29 Paraguay 6 years compare
- 29 Qatar 6 years compare
- 29 Rwanda 6 years compare
- 29 Saudi Arabia 6 years compare
- 29 Sudan 6 years compare
- 29 Senegal 6 years compare
- 29 Singapore 6 years compare
- 29 Saint Helena 6 years compare
- 29 Solomon Islands 6 years compare
- 29 Sierra Leone 6 years compare
- 29 El Salvador 6 years compare
- 29 South Sudan 6 years compare
- 29 Sao Tome and Principe 6 years compare
- 29 Suriname 6 years compare
- 29 Slovenia 6 years compare
- 29 Sweden 6 years compare
- 29 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 6 years compare
- 29 Seychelles 6 years compare
- 29 Syria 6 years compare
- 29 Turks and Caicos Islands 6 years compare
- 29 Chad 6 years compare
- 29 Togo 6 years compare
- 29 Thailand 6 years compare
- 29 Tokelau 6 years compare
- 29 East Timor 6 years compare
- 29 Tonga 6 years compare
- 29 Tunisia 6 years compare
- 29 Tuvalu 6 years compare
- 29 Uruguay 6 years compare
- 29 United States 6 years compare
- 29 Venezuela 6 years compare
- 29 United States Virgin Islands 6 years compare
- 29 Vanuatu 6 years compare
- 29 Samoa 6 years compare
- 29 Yemen 6 years compare
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 theoretical duration of primary education in Nigeria?
- Theoretical duration of primary education in Nigeria was 6 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest theoretical duration of primary education recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
- What is the lowest theoretical duration of primary education recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 6 years in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for theoretical duration of primary education?
- Nigeria ranks 29th out of 224 countries with data for 2025.
- Is theoretical duration of primary education rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. 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 Theoretical duration of primary education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release