Government expenditure on education, total in Ghana
Ghana: Government expenditure on education, total was 13.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Government expenditure on education, total in Ghana, 1980–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 13.2% for government expenditure on education, total in 2022.
The figure is up 8.3% on the previous year and down 50.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on education, total in Ghana peaked at 34.3% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 1980.
Ghana ranks 87th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Government expenditure on education, total in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7.6% | — |
| 1981 | 7.7% | +1.4% |
| 1982 | 13.8% | +78.5% |
| 1986 | 34.3% | +148.0% |
| 1987 | 24.7% | -28.1% |
| 1988 | 23.9% | -3.0% |
| 1999 | 14.9% | -37.8% |
| 2001 | 15.7% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 22.4% | +42.2% |
| 2005 | 23.4% | +4.7% |
| 2006 | 24.2% | +3.1% |
| 2007 | 22.3% | -7.6% |
| 2008 | 24.0% | +7.7% |
| 2009 | 22.5% | -6.4% |
| 2010 | 20.7% | -8.0% |
| 2011 | 30.6% | +48.0% |
| 2012 | 26.6% | -13.2% |
| 2013 | 21.2% | -20.2% |
| 2014 | 21.0% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 23.8% | +13.5% |
| 2016 | 22.1% | -7.2% |
| 2017 | 20.1% | -9.0% |
| 2018 | 18.6% | -7.5% |
| 2019 | 14.3% | -23.3% |
| 2020 | 13.6% | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 12.2% | -10.7% |
| 2022 | 13.2% | +8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 18.7% | 7.6% | 34.3% | 6 |
| 1990s | 14.9% | 14.9% | 14.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 22.1% | 15.7% | 24.2% | 7 |
| 2010s | 21.9% | 14.3% | 30.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.0% | 12.2% | 13.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 84 Cape Verde 13.4% compare
- 85 Tanzania, United Republic of 13.4% compare
- 86 Argentina 13.2% compare
- 88 Haiti 13.2% compare
- 89 Colombia 13.2% compare
- 90 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 13.1% 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 government expenditure on education, total in Ghana?
- Government expenditure on education, total in Ghana was 13.2% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 34.3% in 1986.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on education, total recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 1980.
- How does Ghana rank for government expenditure on education, total?
- Ghana ranks 87th out of 193 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government expenditure on education, total rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Government expenditure on education, total (% of government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on all sectors (including health, education, social services, etc.). It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.