Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Nigeria
Nigeria: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male was 78.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
78.4%
Change on year
up 6.4%
World rank
72nd
of 88 countries
All-time high
81.6%
in 2019
All-time low
66.8%
in 2003
Years of data
7
1991–2024
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Nigeria, 1991–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Nigeria stood at 78.4%.
The figure is up 6.4% on the previous year and up 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Nigeria peaked at 81.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 66.8%, in 2003.
Nigeria ranks 72nd of 88 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 67.7% | — |
| 2003 | 66.8% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 76.1% | +14.0% |
| 2016 | 68.1% | -10.5% |
| 2019 | 81.6% | +19.8% |
| 2021 | 73.7% | -9.6% |
| 2024 | 78.4% | +6.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 67.7% | 67.7% | 67.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 71.4% | 66.8% | 76.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 74.9% | 68.1% | 81.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 76.1% | 73.7% | 78.4% | 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, male in Nigeria?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Nigeria was 78.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 81.6% in 2019.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 66.8% in 2003.
- How does Nigeria rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male?
- Nigeria ranks 72nd out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.1%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release