Primary education, pupils in Nigeria
Nigeria: Primary education, pupils was 47.5% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Primary education, pupils in Nigeria, 1970–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % female.
Analysis
In 2016, primary education, pupils in Nigeria stood at 47.5%.
The figure is down 2.3% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Nigeria peaked at 48.6% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 37.0%, in 1970.
That places Nigeria 175th out of 203 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.5% | 37.0% | 43.4% | 8 |
| 1980s | 43.7% | 42.4% | 45.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 44.1% | 43.2% | 45.3% | 8 |
| 2000s | 45.1% | 43.9% | 46.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 47.8% | 46.7% | 48.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More education data for Nigeria
- Population ages 0-14 40.5% (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 89.6% (2023)
- Primary education, teachers 913,305 (2021)
- School enrollment, primary, female 88.2% (2023)
- School enrollment, primary, male 90.9% (2023)
- Labor force, total 116.58 million (2025)
- Labor force, female 48.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in Nigeria?
- Primary education, pupils in Nigeria was 47.5% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 48.6% in 2014.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.0% in 1970.
- How does Nigeria rank for primary education, pupils?
- Nigeria ranks 175th out of 203 countries with data for 2016.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils (% female). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Female pupils as a percentage of total pupils at primary level include enrollments in public and private schools.