Figures checked 1 November 2026
Election 2027: 16 Jan
DataNigeriaUnderstand Nigeria. Better.

Nigerian states ranked by male literacy rate

All 36 states and the FCT, 2024. Highest: Osun at 99.0%. Lowest: Kebbi at 34.8%. Nigeria overall: 72.4%, from 72.0% in 2018.

What this measures: Share of men 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: 94.7%Adamawa: 68.3%Akwa Ibom: 77.0%Anambra: 86.6%Bauchi: 50.0%Benue: 79.1%Borno: 56.1%Bayelsa: 94.9%Cross River: 91.1%Delta: 87.8%Ebonyi: 76.4%Edo: 94.0%Ekiti: 94.3%Enugu: 89.9%FCT, Abuja: 95.3%Gombe: 60.6%Imo: 84.0%Jigawa: 41.7%Kaduna: 65.6%Kebbi: 34.8%Kano: 71.4%Kogi: 63.5%Katsina: 70.7%Kwara: 70.1%Lagos: 92.4%Nasarawa: 67.7%Niger: 64.9%Ogun: 82.2%Ondo: 96.9%Osun: 99.0%Oyo: 95.7%Plateau: 84.1%Rivers: 87.2%Sokoto: 39.4%Taraba: 79.2%Yobe: 54.9%Zamfara: 55.6%
34.8%–60.6%60.6%–70.7%70.7%–84.1%84.1%–94.0%94.0%–99.0%
  1. 1Osun99.0%
  2. 2Ondo96.9%
  3. 3Oyo95.7%
  4. 4FCT, Abuja95.3%
  5. 5Bayelsa94.9%
  6. 6Abia94.7%
  7. 7Ekiti94.3%
  8. 8Edo94.0%
  9. 9Lagos92.4%
  10. 10Cross River91.1%
  11. 11Enugu89.9%
  12. 12Delta87.8%
  13. 13Rivers87.2%
  14. 14Anambra86.6%
  15. 15Plateau84.1%
  16. 16Imo84.0%
  17. 17Ogun82.2%
  18. 18Taraba79.2%
  19. 19Benue79.1%
  20. 20Akwa Ibom77.0%
  21. 21Ebonyi76.4%
  22. 22Kano71.4%
  23. 23Katsina70.7%
  24. 24Kwara70.1%
  25. 25Adamawa68.3%
  26. 26Nasarawa67.7%
  27. 27Kaduna65.6%
  28. 28Niger64.9%
  29. 29Kogi63.5%
  30. 30Gombe60.6%
  31. 31Borno56.1%
  32. 32Zamfara55.6%
  33. 33Yobe54.9%
  34. 34Bauchi50.0%
  35. 35Jigawa41.7%
  36. 36Sokoto39.4%
  37. 37Kebbi34.8%

Black line: Nigeria overall, 72.4%.

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

Change since 2018

21 of 37 states improved between the 2018 and 2024 surveys.

Most improved

  1. Edo68.2% → 94.0%+25.8 pts
  2. Yobe29.4% → 54.9%+25.5 pts
  3. Ondo78.7% → 96.9%+18.2 pts
  4. Zamfara40.0% → 55.6%+15.6 pts
  5. FCT, Abuja84.7% → 95.3%+10.6 pts
Every state: 2024 value and rank, 2018 value and rank, and the change
RankState20242018ChangeRank change
1Osun99.0%89.0%+10.0 pts▲ 9
2Ondo96.9%78.7%+18.2 pts▲ 16
3Oyo95.7%90.2%+5.5 pts▲ 2
4FCT, Abuja95.3%84.7%+10.6 pts▲ 9
5Bayelsa94.9%98.2%−3.3 pts▼ 4
6Abia94.7%89.9%+4.8 pts▲ 1
7Ekiti94.3%89.3%+5.0 pts▲ 1
8Edo94.0%68.2%+25.8 pts▲ 17
9Lagos92.4%93.0%−0.6 pts▼ 5
10Cross River91.1%87.8%+3.3 pts▲ 1
11Enugu89.9%90.2%−0.3 pts▼ 5
12Delta87.8%96.9%−9.1 pts▼ 10
13Rivers87.2%95.2%−8.0 pts▼ 10
14Anambra86.6%89.1%−2.5 pts▼ 5
15Plateau84.1%85.0%−0.9 pts▼ 3
16Imo84.0%83.0%+1.0 pts▼ 1
17Ogun82.2%84.7%−2.5 pts▼ 3
18Taraba79.2%69.9%+9.3 pts▲ 5
19Benue79.1%80.9%−1.8 pts▼ 2
20Akwa Ibom77.0%75.5%+1.5 ptssame
21Ebonyi76.4%82.4%−6.0 pts▼ 5
22Kano71.4%71.3%+0.1 ptssame
23Katsina70.7%68.6%+2.1 pts▲ 1
24Kwara70.1%64.6%+5.5 pts▲ 3
25Adamawa68.3%61.1%+7.2 pts▲ 4
26Nasarawa67.7%72.0%−4.3 pts▼ 5
27Kaduna65.6%65.0%+0.6 pts▼ 1
28Niger64.9%60.4%+4.5 pts▲ 2
29Kogi63.5%75.9%−12.4 pts▼ 10
30Gombe60.6%54.5%+6.1 pts▲ 2
31Borno56.1%61.5%−5.4 pts▼ 3
32Zamfara55.6%40.0%+15.6 pts▲ 3
33Yobe54.9%29.4%+25.5 pts▲ 4
34Bauchi50.0%47.5%+2.5 pts▼ 1
35Jigawa41.7%58.4%−16.7 pts▼ 4
36Sokoto39.4%40.3%−0.9 pts▼ 2
37Kebbi34.8%34.9%−0.1 pts▼ 1

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, womenHomes with electricityChild vaccinationBirths in a facilityChild stuntingUnder-5 mortalityFertility rate

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