Figures checked 1 November 2026
Election 2027: 16 Jan
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Nigerian states ranked by female literacy rate

All 36 states and the FCT, 2024. Highest: Abia at 93.5%. Lowest: Kebbi at 10.7%. Nigeria overall: 57.2%, from 53.1% in 2018.

What this measures: Share of women aged 15 to 49 who can read all or part of a sentence, or attended secondary school or higher.

Every state, 2024

Darker means higher · higher is better
Abia: 93.5%Adamawa: 51.5%Akwa Ibom: 86.8%Anambra: 91.7%Bauchi: 36.9%Benue: 63.0%Borno: 43.8%Bayelsa: 82.6%Cross River: 81.6%Delta: 83.3%Ebonyi: 60.9%Edo: 88.4%Ekiti: 79.4%Enugu: 81.7%FCT, Abuja: 87.7%Gombe: 42.9%Imo: 87.0%Jigawa: 23.9%Kaduna: 53.1%Kebbi: 10.7%Kano: 61.3%Kogi: 56.9%Katsina: 37.2%Kwara: 57.7%Lagos: 90.3%Nasarawa: 55.1%Niger: 22.5%Ogun: 83.4%Ondo: 74.5%Osun: 91.2%Oyo: 82.5%Plateau: 61.2%Rivers: 83.5%Sokoto: 16.4%Taraba: 34.5%Yobe: 22.2%Zamfara: 25.0%
10.7%–36.9%36.9%–56.9%56.9%–81.6%81.6%–86.8%86.8%–93.5%
  1. 1Abia93.5%
  2. 2Anambra91.7%
  3. 3Osun91.2%
  4. 4Lagos90.3%
  5. 5Edo88.4%
  6. 6FCT, Abuja87.7%
  7. 7Imo87.0%
  8. 8Akwa Ibom86.8%
  9. 9Rivers83.5%
  10. 10Ogun83.4%
  11. 11Delta83.3%
  12. 12Bayelsa82.6%
  13. 13Oyo82.5%
  14. 14Enugu81.7%
  15. 15Cross River81.6%
  16. 16Ekiti79.4%
  17. 17Ondo74.5%
  18. 18Benue63.0%
  19. 19Kano61.3%
  20. 20Plateau61.2%
  21. 21Ebonyi60.9%
  22. 22Kwara57.7%
  23. 23Kogi56.9%
  24. 24Nasarawa55.1%
  25. 25Kaduna53.1%
  26. 26Adamawa51.5%
  27. 27Borno43.8%
  28. 28Gombe42.9%
  29. 29Katsina37.2%
  30. 30Bauchi36.9%
  31. 31Taraba34.5%
  32. 32Zamfara25.0%
  33. 33Jigawa23.9%
  34. 34Niger22.5%
  35. 35Yobe22.2%
  36. 36Sokoto16.4%
  37. 37Kebbi10.7%

Black line: Nigeria overall, 57.2%.

Source: The DHS Program (ICF), with the National Population Commission · Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS Program API) · ED_LITR_W_LIT · version 3, published 2 Nov 2026 · DHS-TERMS, no commercial reuse without permission

Change since 2018

24 of 31 states improved between the 2018 and 2024 surveys.

Most improved

  1. Kano37.8% → 61.3%+23.5 pts
  2. FCT, Abuja67.8% → 87.7%+19.9 pts
  3. Edo72.8% → 88.4%+15.6 pts
  4. Adamawa39.9% → 51.5%+11.6 pts
  5. Oyo71.1% → 82.5%+11.4 pts
Every state: 2024 value and rank, 2018 value and rank, and the change
RankState20242018ChangeRank change
1Abia93.5%88.0%+5.5 ptssame
2Anambra91.7%87.0%+4.7 pts▲ 1
3Osun91.2%79.9%+11.3 pts▲ 7
5Edo88.4%72.8%+15.6 pts▲ 8
6FCT, Abuja87.7%67.8%+19.9 pts▲ 11
7Imo87.0%85.2%+1.8 pts▼ 2
8Akwa Ibom86.8%80.6%+6.2 ptssame
9Rivers83.5%84.0%−0.5 pts▼ 3
12Bayelsa82.6%75.2%+7.4 pts▼ 1
13Oyo82.5%71.1%+11.4 pts▲ 2
14Enugu81.7%83.6%−1.9 pts▼ 7
15Cross River81.6%73.6%+8.0 pts▼ 3
16Ekiti79.4%80.5%−1.1 pts▼ 7
17Ondo74.5%72.4%+2.1 pts▼ 3
18Benue63.0%55.8%+7.2 pts▲ 2
19Kano61.3%37.8%+23.5 pts▲ 8
20Plateau61.2%52.9%+8.3 pts▲ 4
21Ebonyi60.9%53.7%+7.2 pts▲ 1
22Kwara57.7%53.7%+4.0 pts▼ 1
23Kogi56.9%57.7%−0.8 pts▼ 4
24Nasarawa55.1%60.2%−5.1 pts▼ 6
26Adamawa51.5%39.9%+11.6 ptssame
27Borno43.8%40.6%+3.2 pts▼ 2
29Katsina37.2%26.6%+10.6 pts▼ 1
30Bauchi36.9%26.4%+10.5 pts▼ 1
32Zamfara25.0%22.8%+2.2 ptssame
33Jigawa23.9%18.1%+5.8 pts▲ 1
34Niger22.5%25.9%−3.4 pts▼ 3
35Yobe22.2%19.5%+2.7 pts▼ 2
36Sokoto16.4%10.6%+5.8 pts▲ 1
37Kebbi10.7%15.3%−4.6 pts▼ 2

Rank 1 is the highest value. Survey figures are estimates from a sample of households, so small differences between states may not be meaningful.

More state rankings

All rankings →
Literacy, menHomes with electricityChild vaccinationBirths in a facilityChild stuntingUnder-5 mortalityFertility rate

Full history and definition: Women aged 15–49 who are literate (%).