Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Ghana
Ghana: Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP was 3.7% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Ghana, 1971–2018
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Ghana is 3.7%, measured in 2018.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.4% on the previous year and down 28.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Ghana peaked at 7.9% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1981.
That places Ghana 103rd out of 185 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 4.2% | — |
| 1972 | 4.6% | +9.4% |
| 1974 | 3.8% | -17.7% |
| 1975 | 4.9% | +28.2% |
| 1976 | 5.8% | +19.5% |
| 1977 | 6.1% | +4.6% |
| 1979 | 2.3% | -62.1% |
| 1980 | 2.7% | +17.2% |
| 1981 | 1.8% | -33.2% |
| 1982 | 1.9% | +5.3% |
| 1986 | 3.4% | +76.1% |
| 1987 | 3.3% | -1.4% |
| 1988 | 3.2% | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 4.1% | +29.0% |
| 2001 | 5.4% | +30.3% |
| 2004 | 6.7% | +24.5% |
| 2005 | 6.5% | -3.0% |
| 2006 | 4.5% | -30.2% |
| 2007 | 4.9% | +8.7% |
| 2008 | 5.3% | +7.3% |
| 2009 | 5.0% | -5.0% |
| 2010 | 5.3% | +5.4% |
| 2011 | 7.9% | +50.7% |
| 2012 | 6.8% | -14.5% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | -39.7% |
| 2014 | 4.0% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 4.1% | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 4.2% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 3.3% | -20.7% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | +13.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.5% | 2.3% | 6.1% | 7 |
| 1980s | 2.7% | 1.8% | 3.4% | 6 |
| 1990s | 4.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 5.5% | 4.5% | 6.7% | 7 |
| 2010s | 4.8% | 3.3% | 7.9% | 9 |
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 initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Ghana?
- Initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp in Ghana was 3.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 7.9% in 2011.
- What is the lowest initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1981.
- How does Ghana rank for initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp?
- Ghana ranks 103rd out of 185 countries with data for 2018.
- Is initial government expenditure on education as a percentage of gdp rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.9%. 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 Initial government expenditure on 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