Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Nigeria

Nigeria: Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes was 26.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
26.6%
Change on year
down 25.0%
World rank
28th
of 30 countries
All-time high
35.5%
in 2016
All-time low
21.2%
in 2013
Years of data
7
2003–2018

Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Nigeria, 2003–2018

0102030402003201020182003: 28.6 %2007: 24.2 %2008: 28.8 %2011: 31 %2013: 21.2 %2016: 35.5 %2018: 26.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Nigeria is 26.6%, measured in 2018.

The figure is down 25.0% on the previous year and down 7.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Nigeria peaked at 35.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 21.2%, in 2013.

That places Nigeria 28th out of 30 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes (%) in Nigeria, 2003 to 2018.
Year % Change
2003 28.6%
2007 24.2% -15.4%
2008 28.8% +18.9%
2011 31.0% +7.6%
2013 21.2% -31.7%
2016 35.5% +67.7%
2018 26.6% -25.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 27.2% 24.2% 28.8% 3
2010s 28.6% 21.2% 35.5% 4

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 25 Cameroon 35.9% compare
  2. 26 Sierra Leone 32.6% compare
  3. 27 Senegal 27.9% compare
  4. 29 Mali 25.6% compare
  5. 30 Malawi 25.3% compare

See the full ranking of 30 places →

More reference data data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Nigeria?
Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Nigeria was 26.6% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 35.5% in 2016.
What is the lowest completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 21.2% in 2013.
How does Nigeria rank for completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes?
Nigeria ranks 28th out of 30 countries with data for 2018.
Is completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. 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 Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/completion-rate-primary-education-poorest-quintile-both-sexes-percent/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Completion rate, primary education, poorest quintile, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
30 places, 314 data points, 1999–2019
Last refreshed

The number of persons in the relevant age group who have completed the last grade of the given level of education is expressed as a percentage of the total population (in the survey sample) of the same age group. The primary completion rate is the percentage of a cohort of children or young people aged 3-5 years above the intended age for the last grade of primary education who have completed that grade. The intended age for the last grade of primary education is the age at which pupils would enter the grade if they had started school at the official primary entrance age, had studied full-time and had progressed without repeating or skipping a grade. For example, if the official age of entry into primary education is 6 years, and if primary education has 6 grades, the intended age for the last grade of primary education is 11 years. In this case, 14-16 years (11 + 3 = 14 and 11 + 5 = 16) would be the reference age group for calculation of the primary completion rate. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/