Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Ghana
Ghana: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) was 4.98 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
4.98 million
Change on year
up 4.7%
World rank
31st
of 218 countries
All-time high
4.98 million
in 2024
All-time low
966,906
in 1971
Years of data
51
1971–2024
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ghana, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 4.98 million for enrolment in primary education, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ghana peaked at 4.98 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 966,906, in 1971.
That places Ghana 31st out of 218 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 966,906 | — |
| 1972 | 975,042 | +0.8% |
| 1973 | 1.03 million | +5.2% |
| 1974 | 1.04 million | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 1.07 million | +3.6% |
| 1976 | 1.18 million | +10.1% |
| 1977 | 1.24 million | +4.8% |
| 1978 | 1.27 million | +2.7% |
| 1979 | 1.32 million | +3.9% |
| 1980 | 1.37 million | +3.9% |
| 1981 | 1.44 million | +5.2% |
| 1982 | 1.50 million | +4.3% |
| 1983 | 1.50 million | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 1.48 million | -1.6% |
| 1985 | 1.55 million | +4.7% |
| 1986 | 1.51 million | -2.9% |
| 1987 | 1.57 million | +3.9% |
| 1988 | 1.58 million | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 1.71 million | +7.8% |
| 1990 | 1.70 million | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 1.95 million | +14.2% |
| 1992 | 2.01 million | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 2.05 million | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 2.14 million | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 2.15 million | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 2.20 million | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 2.33 million | +6.2% |
| 1999 | 2.38 million | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 2.56 million | +7.7% |
| 2001 | 2.45 million | -4.5% |
| 2002 | 2.59 million | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 2.52 million | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 2.68 million | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 2.93 million | +9.4% |
| 2006 | 3.13 million | +6.9% |
| 2007 | 3.37 million | +7.6% |
| 2008 | 3.63 million | +7.7% |
| 2009 | 3.66 million | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 3.96 million | +8.3% |
| 2012 | 4.06 million | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 4.11 million | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 4.12 million | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 4.34 million | +5.5% |
| 2016 | 4.36 million | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 4.39 million | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 4.40 million | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 4.55 million | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 4.58 million | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 4.73 million | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 4.76 million | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 4.98 million | +4.7% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 4.98 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.66 million, 3.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 4.98 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.40 million, 2.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.12 million | 966,906 | 1.32 million | 9 |
| 1980s | 1.52 million | 1.37 million | 1.71 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.10 million | 1.70 million | 2.38 million | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.95 million | 2.45 million | 3.66 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.25 million | 3.96 million | 4.55 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 4.76 million | 4.58 million | 4.98 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 28 Madagascar 5.29 million compare
- 29 Cameroon 5.29 million compare
- 30 Sudan 5.23 million compare
- 32 United Kingdom 4.86 million compare
- 33 Iraq 4.86 million compare
- 34 Cote d'Ivoire 4.82 million compare
More education data for Ghana
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 174,414 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 39,902 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 949,095 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 913,117 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.33 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.98 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.6567 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1448 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ghana?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ghana was 4.98 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 4.98 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 966,906 in 1971.
- How does Ghana rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Ghana ranks 31st out of 218 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release