Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Nigeria
Nigeria: Literacy rate of young men vs. women was 81.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Nigeria, 1991–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate of young men vs. women in Nigeria stood at 81.3%.
That represents a change of up 4.5% on the previous year and down 5.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate of young men vs. women in Nigeria peaked at 88.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 77.8%, in 2021.
That places Nigeria 82nd out of 95 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 81.4% | — |
| 2003 | 78.1% | -4.0% |
| 2006 | 83.1% | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 78.5% | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 86.2% | +9.8% |
| 2016 | 78.4% | -9.0% |
| 2019 | 88.1% | +12.4% |
| 2021 | 77.8% | -11.7% |
| 2024 | 81.3% | +4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 81.4% | 81.4% | 81.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 79.9% | 78.1% | 83.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 84.2% | 78.4% | 88.1% | 3 |
| 2020s | 79.5% | 77.8% | 81.3% | 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 literacy rate of young men vs. women in Nigeria?
- Literacy rate of young men vs. women in Nigeria was 81.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate of young men vs. women recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 88.1% in 2019.
- What is the lowest literacy rate of young men vs. women recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.8% in 2021.
- How does Nigeria rank for literacy rate of young men vs. women?
- Nigeria ranks 82nd out of 95 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate of young men vs. women rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate of young men vs. women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of men aged 15 to 24 years who can read and write.