Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ghana
Ghana: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 64.8% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
64.8%
World rank
72nd
of 87 countries
All-time high
68.5%
in 2010
All-time low
55.5%
in 2000
Years of data
5
2000–2021
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ghana, 2000–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 64.8% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in 2021.
That represents a change of down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ghana peaked at 68.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 55.5%, in 2000.
That places Ghana 72nd out of 87 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 55.5% | — |
| 2010 | 68.5% | +23.5% |
| 2015 | 56.5% | -17.5% |
| 2017 | 59.5% | +5.2% |
| 2021 | 64.8% | +9.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 55.5% | 55.5% | 55.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 61.5% | 56.5% | 68.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 64.8% | 64.8% | 64.8% | 1 |
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 literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ghana?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ghana was 64.8% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 68.5% in 2010.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.5% in 2000.
- How does Ghana rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- Ghana ranks 72nd out of 87 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. 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 Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release