Ghana vs South Africa: School age population, early childhood educational development
Ghana
1.26 million
in 2025
South Africa
1.71 million
in 2025
Ghana rank
11th
South Africa rank
8th
School age population, early childhood educational development over time
- Ghana
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.71 million against 1.26 million in Ghana, a difference of 452,090.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.4 times Ghana's.
Across all 14 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Ghana ranks 11th and South Africa ranks 8th of 104 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ghana | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 836,391 | 1.10 million | 265,199 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.22 million | 1.68 million | 453,353 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.24 million | 1.74 million | 499,850 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school age population, early childhood educational development, Ghana or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.71 million against 1.26 million in Ghana as of 2025.
- What is the difference in school age population, early childhood educational development between Ghana and South Africa?
- 452,090, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ghana and South Africa?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do Ghana and South Africa rank globally for school age population, early childhood educational development?
- Ghana ranks 11th and South Africa ranks 8th of 104 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School age population, early childhood educational development programmes, female (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release