Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana
Ghana: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes was 235,313 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana is 235,313, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 50.2% on the previous year and down 40.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana peaked at 1.34 million in 1999 and was at its lowest, 10,368, in 2016.
That places Ghana 36th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 1.34 million | — |
| 2000 | 1.10 million | -17.7% |
| 2001 | 1.28 million | +16.1% |
| 2002 | 1.16 million | -9.7% |
| 2003 | 1.17 million | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 988,778 | -15.3% |
| 2006 | 920,149 | -6.9% |
| 2007 | 758,718 | -17.5% |
| 2008 | 593,776 | -21.7% |
| 2009 | 624,637 | +5.2% |
| 2011 | 438,204 | -29.8% |
| 2012 | 529,329 | +20.8% |
| 2014 | 392,764 | -25.8% |
| 2016 | 10,368 | -97.4% |
| 2017 | 299,178 | +2785.6% |
| 2018 | 364,440 | +21.8% |
| 2019 | 251,231 | -31.1% |
| 2020 | 492,043 | +95.9% |
| 2021 | 472,753 | -3.9% |
| 2024 | 235,313 | -50.2% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 235,313 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 76,741, 3.1× the median. (45 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 235,313 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 224,299, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +2785.6% | 10,368 | 299,178 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.34 million | 1.34 million | 1.34 million | 1 |
| 2000s | 955,188 | 593,776 | 1.28 million | 9 |
| 2010s | 326,502 | 10,368 | 529,329 | 7 |
| 2020s | 400,036 | 235,313 | 492,043 | 3 |
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 out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana?
- Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana was 235,313 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 1.34 million in 1999.
- What is the lowest out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,368 in 2016.
- How does Ghana rank for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- Ghana ranks 36th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.1%. 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 Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release