Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nigeria
Nigeria: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 62.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
62.4%
Change on year
up 17.2%
World rank
73rd
of 89 countries
All-time high
64.2%
in 2006
All-time low
43.3%
in 2003
Years of data
6
1991–2024
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nigeria, 1991–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nigeria stood at 62.4%.
That represents a change of up 17.2% on the previous year and up 27.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nigeria peaked at 64.2% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 43.3%, in 2003.
Nigeria ranks 73rd of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 43.7% | — |
| 2003 | 43.3% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 64.2% | +48.3% |
| 2016 | 49.1% | -23.6% |
| 2021 | 53.2% | +8.5% |
| 2024 | 62.4% | +17.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 43.7% | 43.7% | 43.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 53.8% | 43.3% | 64.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 49.1% | 49.1% | 49.1% | 1 |
| 2020s | 57.8% | 53.2% | 62.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
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 adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nigeria?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Nigeria was 62.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 64.2% in 2006.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.3% in 2003.
- How does Nigeria rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Nigeria ranks 73rd out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.2%. 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 Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release