India vs Nigeria: Adult literacy
Adult literacy in 2024: 78.2% in India and 70.4% in Nigeria, by UNESCO estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in India, by 7.8 percentage points, or 1.11 times that in Nigeria.
IndiaNigeria
Watch it change on the map% of adults · UNESCO
Latest figures
% of adults · UNESCO
| Country | Latest | 10 years before |
|---|---|---|
| India | 78.2 2024 | — |
| Nigeria | 70.4 2024 | — |
| World | 87.7 2024 | 85.6 |
What the numbers say
- India has been higher since 2021, when it overtook Nigeria.
- The world as a whole: 87.7% in 2024.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | India | Nigeria | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 78.2 | 70.4 | 87.7 |
| 2023 | 81.7 | – | 87.6 |
| 2022 | 76.3 | – | 87.4 |
| 2021 | 76.1 | 63.2 | 87.2 |
| 2020 | 75.5 | – | 87 |
| 2019 | 74.9 | – | 86.8 |
| 2018 | 73.7 | – | 86.8 |
| 2017 | – | – | 86.5 |
| 2016 | – | 58.2 | 86.3 |
| 2015 | – | – | 86 |
| 2014 | – | – | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | – | 85.2 |
| 2012 | 69.8 | – | 84.9 |
| 2011 | 69.3 | – | 84.7 |
| 2010 | 68.3 | – | 84.4 |
| 2009 | – | – | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | – | 83.5 |
| 2007 | – | – | 83.1 |
| 2006 | 62.8 | 70.2 | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2004 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | 54.8 | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | – | 81.7 |
| 2001 | 61 | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | – | – | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | – | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | 48.2 | 55.5 | 75.1 |
| 1990 | – | – | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | – | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | 40.8 | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | – | – | 67.8 |
| 1979 | – | – | 67.2 |
| 1978 | – | – | 66.5 |
| 1977 | – | – | 65.9 |
| 1976 | – | – | 65.6 |
| 1975 | – | – | 65.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
- Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time