Government expenditure on education, constant US$ in Ghana
Ghana: Government expenditure on education, constant US$ was 2,599 millions in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
2,599 millions
Change on year
up 16.8%
World rank
79th
of 174 countries
All-time high
3,958 millions
in 2012
All-time low
207.66 millions
in 1981
Years of data
30
1971–2018
Government expenditure on education, constant US$ in Ghana, 1971–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in millions.
Analysis
In 2018, government expenditure on education, constant us$ in Ghana stood at 2,599 millions.
That represents a change of up 16.8% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, constant us$ in Ghana peaked at 3,958 millions in 2012 and was at its lowest, 207.66 millions, in 1981.
That places Ghana 79th out of 174 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Government expenditure on education, constant US$ in Ghana, year by year
| Year | millions | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 468.58 millions | — |
| 1972 | 539.36 millions | +15.1% |
| 1974 | 445.25 millions | -17.4% |
| 1975 | 610.11 millions | +37.0% |
| 1976 | 638.59 millions | +4.7% |
| 1977 | 644.21 millions | +0.9% |
| 1979 | 271.02 millions | -57.9% |
| 1980 | 309.52 millions | +14.2% |
| 1981 | 207.66 millions | -32.9% |
| 1982 | 211.07 millions | +1.6% |
| 1986 | 419.06 millions | +98.5% |
| 1987 | 432.9 millions | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 440.77 millions | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 906.8 millions | +105.7% |
| 2001 | 1,274 millions | +40.5% |
| 2004 | 2,081 millions | +63.4% |
| 2005 | 2,171 millions | +4.3% |
| 2006 | 1,602 millions | -26.2% |
| 2007 | 1,793 millions | +11.9% |
| 2008 | 2,041 millions | +13.9% |
| 2009 | 1,976 millions | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 2,222 millions | +12.4% |
| 2011 | 3,723 millions | +67.6% |
| 2012 | 3,958 millions | +6.3% |
| 2013 | 2,455 millions | -38.0% |
| 2014 | 2,427 millions | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 2,498 millions | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 2,559 millions | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 2,225 millions | -13.1% |
| 2018 | 2,599 millions | +16.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 516.73 millions | 271.02 millions | 644.21 millions | 7 |
| 1980s | 336.83 millions | 207.66 millions | 440.77 millions | 6 |
| 1990s | 906.8 millions | 906.8 millions | 906.8 millions | 1 |
| 2000s | 1,848 millions | 1,274 millions | 2,171 millions | 7 |
| 2010s | 2,741 millions | 2,222 millions | 3,958 millions | 9 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 76 Serbia 2,769 millions compare
- 77 Turkmenistan 2,659 millions compare
- 78 Azerbaijan 2,651 millions compare
- 80 Angola 2,456 millions compare
- 81 Tanzania, United Republic of 2,258 millions compare
- 82 Estonia 2,217 millions compare
More education data for Ghana
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,023 tertiary education (2024)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 122,558 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 4 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 60.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 35.4% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government expenditure on education, constant us$ in Ghana?
- Government expenditure on education, constant us$ in Ghana was 2,599 millions in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, constant us$ recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 3,958 millions in 2012.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, constant us$ recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 207.66 millions in 1981.
- How does Ghana rank for government expenditure on education, constant us$?
- Ghana ranks 79th out of 174 countries with data for 2018.
- Is government expenditure on education, constant us$ rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Government expenditure on education, constant US$ (millions). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release