Expenditure on tertiary education in Ghana
Ghana: Expenditure on tertiary education was 18.3% in 2014. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Ghana, 1971–2014
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 18.3% for expenditure on tertiary education in 2014.
The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Ghana peaked at 27.0% in 1971 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1981.
That places Ghana 92nd out of 160 countries with data for 2014, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 27.0% | — |
| 1972 | 25.8% | -4.6% |
| 1974 | 19.8% | -23.2% |
| 1975 | 19.9% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 16.0% | -19.6% |
| 1977 | 15.2% | -4.9% |
| 1979 | 2.3% | -85.1% |
| 1981 | 1.8% | -19.8% |
| 1982 | 2.2% | +18.6% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 15.3% | +629.5% |
| 1988 | 11.7% | -23.3% |
| 2001 | 14.2% | +21.1% |
| 2004 | 19.5% | +37.6% |
| 2005 | 22.1% | +13.0% |
| 2006 | 20.3% | -8.0% |
| 2007 | 26.0% | +28.2% |
| 2008 | 25.9% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 23.9% | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 25.9% | +8.7% |
| 2011 | 13.1% | -49.4% |
| 2012 | 18.5% | +41.1% |
| 2013 | 19.4% | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 18.3% | -5.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 18.0% | 2.3% | 27.0% | 7 |
| 1980s | 6.6% | 1.8% | 15.3% | 5 |
| 2000s | 21.7% | 14.2% | 26.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 19.1% | 13.1% | 25.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
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 expenditure on tertiary education in Ghana?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Ghana was 18.3% in 2014, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 27.0% in 1971.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1981.
- How does Ghana rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Ghana ranks 92nd out of 160 countries with data for 2014.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.