Literacy in Nigeria
Nigeria: Literacy was 70.41 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
70.41
Change on year
up 11.5%
World rank
71st
of 89 countries
All-time high
70.41
in 2024
All-time low
54.77
in 2003
Years of data
6
1991–2024
Literacy in Nigeria, 1991–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 70.41 for literacy in 2024. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.5% on the previous year and up 20.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy in Nigeria peaked at 70.41 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 54.77, in 2003.
That places Nigeria 71st out of 89 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 55.45 | — |
| 2003 | 54.77 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 70.2 | +28.2% |
| 2016 | 58.22 | -17.1% |
| 2021 | 63.16 | +8.5% |
| 2024 | 70.41 | +11.5% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 70.41 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.16, 90% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 70.41 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.87, 99% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.45 | 55.45 | 55.45 | 1 |
| 2000s | 62.48 | 54.77 | 70.2 | 2 |
| 2010s | 58.22 | 58.22 | 58.22 | 1 |
| 2020s | 66.78 | 63.16 | 70.41 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More education data for Nigeria
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 74.51 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 75.68 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy in Nigeria?
- Literacy in Nigeria was 70.41 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 70.41 in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.77 in 2003.
- How does Nigeria rank for literacy?
- Nigeria ranks 71st out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).