Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Ghana
Ghana: Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP was 1.0% in 2014. ◆ Volatile
Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of GDP in Ghana, 1971–2014
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 1.0% for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in 2014.
That represents a change of down 14.4% on the previous year and down 68.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Ghana peaked at 3.7% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1981.
Ghana ranks 115th of 162 countries on this measure, 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 primary education as a percentage of GDP in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 1.5% | — |
| 1972 | 1.5% | +4.6% |
| 1974 | 1.5% | -3.4% |
| 1975 | 1.8% | +21.5% |
| 1976 | 1.1% | -37.1% |
| 1977 | 1.2% | +5.5% |
| 1979 | 0.6% | -47.5% |
| 1980 | 0.8% | +20.9% |
| 1981 | 0.5% | -33.7% |
| 1982 | 0.6% | +23.1% |
| 1986 | 1.1% | +79.5% |
| 1987 | 0.9% | -18.6% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | -9.2% |
| 2001 | 2.2% | +171.1% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | +34.5% |
| 2005 | 2.9% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | -35.1% |
| 2007 | 1.9% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 2.0% | +5.4% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | -11.5% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 3.7% | +116.5% |
| 2012 | 2.6% | -30.9% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | -56.4% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | -14.4% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 1.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7%, 58% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 1.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.6%, 61% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.3% | 0.6% | 1.8% | 7 |
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.1% | 6 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 1.8% | 3.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.0% | 3.7% | 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 government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Ghana?
- Government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp in Ghana was 1.0% in 2014, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2011.
- What is the lowest government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1981.
- How does Ghana rank for government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp?
- Ghana ranks 115th out of 162 countries with data for 2014.
- Is government expenditure on primary education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.1%. 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 primary education as a percentage of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release