Nigerian academic IELTS test takers scored an average of 6.7 out of 9 in 2022, placing the country joint 5th globally with Ghana, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Spanish academic IELTS test takers topped the list with an overall score of 7.1.
Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.
These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.
Only 10% of Nigerians earn above ₦100,000, according to the Nigerian Financial Services Market Report. This aligns with most reports about Nigeria, and it's in sharp contrast to the narratives online.
The Nigerian movie industry, mainly financed via public or private funding and international grants, produces the most films in Africa, yearly. Nigeria produced more than double the number of films that the Ghanaian and Kenyan movie industries produce annually.
Nigeria was the seventh most populous nation in the world in 2020, with 206.1 million people. Projected to reach a population of 401.3 million by 2050, Nigeria will rank third after India (1st) and China (2nd). According to Institut national d'études démographiques' projections, Nigeria, Ethiopia, DR Congo, Egypt, Tanzania, and Kenya will be among the world’s top 20 most populous countries by 2050.
Over time, Nigerian workers under 50 have increasingly relied on pension savings during unemployment. This graph illustrates the upward trend with some fluctuations in both the total amount withdrawn — ₦26.9 billion in 2022, and the number of approved withdrawals. Individuals who can withdraw 25% of their retirement savings balance are those who disengaged/retired before the age of 50 years in accordance with the terms and conditions of their respective employment and stayed unemployed for at least six months.
MTN Nigeria has dominated the country's telecommunications market over the years, accounting for the largest market share. All four operators, apart from 9mobile, recorded a significant increase in their subscriber base between May 2014 and March 2024.
Between 2018 and 2021, adult literacy rates across African nations exhibited significant disparities. Seychelles and South Africa led with literacy rates of 96% and 95%, respectively, indicating a high proportion of literate adults. Conversely, Chad had the lowest literacy rate during this period.
These statistics underscore the uneven progress in educational attainment across Africa, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve literacy in lower-performing nations.
For every woman sentenced to a non-custodial measure, there are nearly 12 men (35:415), highlighting a strong gender disparity in non-custodial sentencing.
Men account for more than 9 out of every 10 non-custodial cases (92%), suggesting that crimes leading to these sentences are far more common among male offenders.
Women’s representation in non-custodial sentencing is much lower than their general crime conviction rates, indicating potential differences in crime type, judicial discretion, or rehabilitation approaches.
Mozambique has the fewest individuals requiring support from the United Nations.
The UN plans to help 3.6 million of the 7.8 million people in Nigeria who require assistance.
Sudan is the only Northern African country recorded by the UN as having people in need.
In East and Southern Africa, the countries with the highest and lowest numbers of individuals in need are Ethiopia and Zimbabwe, respectively.
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Niger have the highest and lowest number of individuals needing assistance, respectively, in West and Central Africa.
In February 2016, petrol was at its lowest price of₦99.80 per litre, marking the last time fuel prices remained below₦100.
By November 2024, petrol prices soared to an all-time high of₦1,214.17 per litre, reflecting the compounded effects of inflation, currency depreciation, and global oil price volatility.
Over the nine-year period, the average petrol price stood at₦272.65 per litre.
Between January 2016 and December 2024, petrol prices increased by ₦1,079.52, a staggering 984.96% rise, emphasising the long-term upward trajectory influenced by economic challenges, subsidy removals, and fluctuating exchange rates.
The most volatile period recorded a month-to-month price surge of over 129.23%.
66.6% of inmates (53,408) are awaiting trial, meaning 2 out of every 3 prisoners have not been convicted. This highlights major delays in the justice system, leading to prolonged detention without sentencing.
Male inmates dominate the prison population at 97.7%, with similar trends in both convicted (98.3%) and awaiting trial (97.4%) categories, highlighting a significant gender disparity in detention rates.
Only 33.4% of inmates (26,775) have been convicted, while the majority remain in legal limbo. This suggests that slow judicial processes are contributing to prison overcrowding and potential human rights concerns.
75.4% of female inmates (1,399 out of 1,855) are awaiting trial, meaning only 1 in 4 female prisoners has been convicted
Ghana's under-5 mortality rate at 42.3 deaths per 1,000 live births, still higher than the SDG target of 25 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Cape Verde achieved the most dramatic reduction in under-5 mortality rates, cutting its rate by over93%,from 174.8 in 1960 to 12.3 in 2022, the lowest in West Africa.
Sierra Leone had the highest under-5 mortality rate in 1960, at 390.1 deaths per 1,000 live births, marking it as one of the most challenging places for child survival in the region at the time.
Liberia experienced a troubling increase in under-5 mortality rates during the 1980s, peaking at 263.8 in 1990, a period marked by civil war and economic instability.
The United States holds the strongest military globally, with a Firepower Index of 0.0744, reflecting its superior military resources and capabilities.
Russia and China are tied with 0.0788, showcasing their comparable and highly advanced military strengths.
India ranks fourth with 0.1184, solidifying its position as a major military power in Asia.
South Korea and the United Kingdom follow closely, with 0.1656 and 0.1785, respectively, highlighting their robust defense systems.
France, Japan, Turkiye (Turkey), and Italy round out the top 10, with Firepower Indexes ranging from 0.1839 to 0.2164, demonstrating their significant military influence on the global stage.
Mexico ranked as the leading destination for the US' agricultural exports in 2024, with a total value of $30.32 billion (17.2% of total agricultural exports).
North American neighbours, Mexico and Canada, collectively accounted for 33.3% of total US agricultural exports.
China was the third-largest market, importing $24.65 billion (14%) of the US' agricultural products.
Asian markets, including China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Vietnam, collectively absorbed 31.7% of the US' agricultural exports.
The top three markets (Mexico, Canada, and China) made up 47.3% of the US' total agricultural export value.
The top 10 markets accounted for 74.8% of the US' agricultural exports, totalling $131.85 billion.
With a median mobile download speed of 441.89 Mbps, the UAE is in a league of its own, setting a high benchmark for digital infrastructure globally.
At just 18.91 Mbps, Nigeria ranks 102nd, only narrowly ahead of countries like Ecuador and Libya. This means the digital experience for most Nigerians is significantly slower than the global average.
The difference between the fastest and slowest countries spans over 400 Mbps, showing a growing divide in how nations can participate in digital economies.
Countries like Denmark, South Korea, Norway, and the Netherlands continue to show strong mobile connection.
It's notable that Qatar and Kuwait, alongside the UAE, are not just energy-rich but also leaders in mobile connectivity.
Several African nations, Nigeria, Libya, and Mozambique, feature among the slowest, highlighting the urgent need for investment in faster, more reliable mobile networks across the continent.
Africa not only had high tuberculosis treatment success for people without HIV (5.9M lives saved), but also for 5.1M people with HIV.
With over 19 million people without HIV and 910,000 with HIV treated, South-East Asia leads in numbers.
TB treatment saved 10 million lives in the Western Pacific region.
Globally, 41 million out of 47.8 million lives saved were of people without HIV, showing that TB remains a major health threat even outside HIV-affected populations.
With just 1.2M lives saved each, both Europe and the Americas had relatively low numbers.
Cocoa products, including paste, butter, and beans dominated the US' agricultural imports from Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024, making up nearly one-third of the total.
Other major import categories included coffee, seafood, oilseed meals, and tree nuts, rounding out the top six.
The top 10 agricultural imports accounted for 74% of all the US' agricultural imports from the region.
Each of the top 10 products had an import value exceeding $120 million.
From SSA, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana were the leading suppliers of cocoa products to the US in 2024.
The top three products together represented 41% of the total agricultural imports from the region.