Literacy rates among adults in Ghana
Ghana: Literacy rates among adults was 76.5% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
76.5%
World rank
64th
of 89 countries
All-time high
76.5%
in 2021
All-time low
57.9%
in 2000
Years of data
5
2000–2021
Literacy rates among adults in Ghana, 2000–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 76.5% for literacy rates among adults in 2021. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
That represents a change of up 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rates among adults in Ghana peaked at 76.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 57.9%, in 2000.
Ghana ranks 64th of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Literacy rates among adults in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 57.9% | — |
| 2010 | 71.5% | +23.5% |
| 2015 | 60.2% | -15.8% |
| 2017 | 64.5% | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 76.5% | +18.6% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 76.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.2%, 98% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 76.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 1.1× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 57.9% | 57.9% | 57.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 65.4% | 60.2% | 71.5% | 3 |
| 2020s | 76.5% | 76.5% | 76.5% | 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 rates among adults in Ghana?
- Literacy rates among adults in Ghana was 76.5% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rates among adults recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 76.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest literacy rates among adults recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.9% in 2000.
- How does Ghana rank for literacy rates among adults?
- Ghana ranks 64th out of 89 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rates among adults rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rates among adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of the population aged 15 years and older who can read and write.