Literacy rates among adults in Niger

Niger: Literacy rates among adults was 35.6% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
35.6%
World rank
88th
of 89 countries
All-time high
35.6%
in 2022
All-time low
14.4%
in 2001
Years of data
6
2001–2022

Literacy rates among adults in Niger, 2001–2022

0102030402001201120222001: 14.4 %2005: 28.7 %2012: 30.6 %2014: 29 %2018: 33 %2022: 35.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rates among adults in Niger is 35.6%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

That represents a change of up 16.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Niger peaked at 35.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 14.4%, in 2001.

That places Niger 88th out of 89 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 21.5% 14.4% 28.7% 2
2010s 30.9% 29.0% 33.0% 3
2020s 35.6% 35.6% 35.6% 1

Countries ranked near Niger

  1. 85 Guinea 39.6% compare
  2. 86 Afghanistan 37.3% compare
  3. 87 Mali 35.6% compare
  4. 89 Chad 30.6% compare

See the full ranking of 89 places →

More education data for Niger

All data for Niger →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rates among adults in Niger?
Literacy rates among adults in Niger was 35.6% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literacy rates among adults recorded in Niger?
The highest recorded value was 35.6% in 2022.
What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Niger?
The lowest recorded value was 14.4% in 2001.
How does Niger rank for literacy rates among adults?
Niger ranks 88th out of 89 countries with data for 2022.
Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Niger?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Niger 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 rates among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rates among adults
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
89 places, 916 data points, 1975–2024
Last refreshed

Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.