Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nigeria
Nigeria: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 0.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nigeria, 1974–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2023, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nigeria stood at 0.3%. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
The figure is down 8.4% on the previous year and down 40.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nigeria peaked at 3.2% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2023.
Nigeria ranks 198th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 8 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More reference data data for Nigeria
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.5759 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 4.48 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 4.48 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 4.48 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.56 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate -1.01 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 39.63 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate -0.7265 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 44.13 0-100 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance score 31.69 0-100 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nigeria?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Nigeria was 0.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 3.2% in 1974.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2023.
- How does Nigeria rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Nigeria ranks 198th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.