This study examine the influence of family stability and instability on school attendance and academic performance of secondary school students in Zamfara State, Nigeria. Four objectives, research questions and hypotheses were raised as guide. Descriptive survey and expo-facto research designs were adopted.The population of the study was 182029. Random technique was used to select 1200 sample. Students? class attendance and records of students? academic performance were used as instruments for data collection. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze bio data and to answer research questions.Null hypotheses one and two were tested with t-test statistics while null hypotheses three and four were tested using regression analysis at a level of tolerance of 0.05. The findings of the study revealed that Students from stable family are more regular in school attendance than their counterparts from unstable family. Academic performance of students from stable family was found to be better than those from unstable family.Family stability has positive influence on academic performance of secondary school students. The probability value of 0.000 was less than significance level of 0.05.Family instability has negative influence on academic performance of secondary school students. It was concluded that family stability and instability affect students? class attendance and academic performance. It was also recommended that families should closely monitor their children?s school attendance. Parents should hence know that stability is a must, unless they do not want their children to be the best in school. Parents should endeavour to maintain stability within them for their overall benefit.Families must inculcate the habit of understanding, tolerance and forgiveness in order to avoid instability, especially when their children become adults. This is because instability has negative effect on the academic achievement of their children.