In 2021, the rate of adult literacy as share of the country's population 15 years and above in Nigeria increased by 1.1 percentage points (+1.77 percent) compared to 2018. While the growth is slowing down, with 63.16 percent, the rate of adult literacy is at its peak in the observed period. The adult literacy rate refers to the share of individuals aged 15 years and older who can read and write as well as understand simple expressions about their daily lives.

Female literacy rate in Nigeria is among the highest in West Africa. However, the difference between male and female literacy rates are substantial in both urban and rural areas. As of 2018, the rate among men living in rural areas of Nigeria reached roughly 60 percent, whereas female literacy rates in the same areas was 35 percent. The gap in urban Nigeria amounted to about ten percentage points.

In West Africa, the highest female literacy rates were registered in Cabo Verde and Ghana, while Nigeria ranked third.

The highest literacy rates in Nigeria were registered in the southern regions of the country. In the South West, 89 percent of males and 80.6 percent of females were literate as of 2018. Also, the south zones showed the lowest percentage differences between male and female literacy. Female literacy rate in Nigeria is among the highest in West Africa. The highest female literacy rates were registered in Cabo Verde and Ghana, while Nigeria ranked third.

Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 61.254 % in 2008. This records a decrease from the previous number of 66.767 % for 2003. Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 66.767 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2008, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 67.654 % in 1991 and a record low of 61.254 % in 2008. Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Adult Male: % of Males Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24) in Nigeria was reported at 69.05 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Literacy rate, youth female (% of females ages 15-24) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Nigeria literacy rate for 2018 was 62.02%, a 10.94% increase from 2008.

• Nigeria literacy rate for 2008 was 51.08%, a 19.12% decline from 2006.
• Nigeria literacy rate for 2006 was 70.20%, a 15.43% increase from 2003.
• Nigeria literacy rate for 2003 was 54.77%, a 0.67% decline from 1991.

Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Youth: % of People Age 15-24 data was reported at 66.384 % in 2008. This records a decrease from the previous number of 68.994 % for 2003. Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Youth: % of People Age 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 68.994 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2008, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 71.189 % in 1991 and a record low of 66.384 % in 2008. Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Youth: % of People Age 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Literacy rate, youth (ages 15-24), gender parity index (GPI) in Nigeria was reported at 0.8878 % in 2021, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Ratio of young literate females to males (% ages 15-24) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Youth Female: % of Females Aged 15-24 data was reported at 57.954 % in 2008. This records a decrease from the previous number of 60.509 % for 2003. Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Youth Female: % of Females Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 60.509 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2008, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 62.488 % in 1991 and a record low of 57.954 % in 2008. Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Youth Female: % of Females Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data was reported at 51.078 % in 2008. This records a decrease from the previous number of 54.773 % for 2003. Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data is updated yearly, averaging 54.773 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2008, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 55.447 % in 1991 and a record low of 51.078 % in 2008. Nigeria NG: Literacy Rate: Adult: % of People Aged 15 and Above data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

As of 2019, around 72 percent of young women and 78 percent of young men in Nigeria were literate in English. This means they could understand, read, and write a short, simple statement, for instance, on their everyday life in English.

The Northern Education Initiative Plus (NEIPlus) is a project that aimed to improve early grade literacy in Hausa and English in two of Nigeria’s northern states, Bauchi and Sokoto. Hausa is the mother tongue of most pupils in these states and the language of instruction of most schools. The data presented is from NEIPlus’s midline, conducted in 2018. Primary 2 (P2) and Primary 3 (P3) pupils were sampled. P2 and P3 are the equivalent of Grades 2 and 3, respectively. Pupils were administered an Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA); P2 pupils were assessed on Hausa literacy, while P3 pupils were assessed on their Hausa and English literacy. After taking the EGRA, pupils took a context survey to gather information about the situation of their homes and schools. The results from the context survey are within the EGRA dataset. Head teachers and teachers at these schools were interviewed about their schools and pedagogical beliefs. At each school, one reading lesson was observed.

63.16 (%) in 2021. Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.

As of 2019, women in Nigeria represented 49 percent of the total enrollments in adult and basic literacy education in the country. According to the source, Kebbi State had the lowest share of female enrollment.

Nigeria NG: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Literacy Rate: Youth Aged 15-24 data was reported at 0.767 Ratio in 2008. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.774 Ratio for 2003. Nigeria NG: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Literacy Rate: Youth Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.768 Ratio from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2008, with 3 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.774 Ratio in 2003 and a record low of 0.767 Ratio in 2008. Nigeria NG: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Literacy Rate: Youth Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Nigeria – Table NG.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for youth literacy rate is the ratio of females to males ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) in Nigeria was reported at 40.11 % in 2018, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. Nigeria - Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on March of 2025.

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the impact of a safe-space based life skills training program and a combination of life skills and digital literacy training programs on adolescent girls’ empowerment, education, economic, and reproductive health outcomes. The interventions form two sub-components of the Adolescent Girls’ Initiative for Learning and Empowerment project. The sample covered randomly selected secondary school girls between the ages of 15 and 20 in rural and semi-urban schools that were eligible for the safe space-based life skills and digital skills trainings. The baseline data was collected through face-to-face interviews with 8,223 adolescents, 8,007 caregivers, and 270 school principals across Kaduna, Kano and Katsina States. The field data collection occurred simultaneously across the three States and lasted for 44 days between April and June, 2023. Enumerators collected data with tablets containing programmed questionnaires on SurveyCTO platform.

Geographic coverage

The study sample is comprised of senior secondary 1st year adolescent girls, their caregivers, and school principals from Kaduna (28%), Kano (32%), and Katsina (40%) in Nigeria.

Analysis unit

Individual, schools

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Personal Interview [capi]

Research instrument

The AGILE Adolescent, Caregiver and School questionnaires are provided for download as supporting documentation for the data.

In 2019, there were more than 1.1 million children enrolled in nomadic elementary schools in Nigeria. The majority of them were female students, which accounted for 65 percent of the total (almost 740 thousand). Nomadic education is a sub-component of the Nigerian formal educational system which aims to offer equal opportunities for all social groups, independently from ethnicity, geographical origin, gender, or social class.

Assessment of health literacy amongst respondents.