Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Ghana
Ghana: Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper was 25.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Ghana, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Ghana stood at 25.5%.
The figure is up 35.0% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Ghana peaked at 50.9% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 18.9%, in 2021.
Ghana ranks 46th of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 49.5% | — |
| 2000 | 48.4% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 50.2% | +3.7% |
| 2002 | 47.5% | -5.4% |
| 2003 | 50.9% | +7.2% |
| 2005 | 41.3% | -18.9% |
| 2006 | 35.1% | -15.0% |
| 2007 | 29.7% | -15.4% |
| 2008 | 28.3% | -4.8% |
| 2009 | 29.1% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 21.9% | -24.6% |
| 2014 | 27.8% | +26.5% |
| 2015 | 31.8% | +14.5% |
| 2016 | 25.7% | -19.1% |
| 2017 | 26.6% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 26.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 22.9% | -14.0% |
| 2020 | 19.9% | -13.3% |
| 2021 | 18.9% | -4.9% |
| 2024 | 25.5% | +35.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 25.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 24.4%, 1.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 25.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 39.2%, 65% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 49.5% | 49.5% | 49.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 40.1% | 28.3% | 50.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 26.2% | 21.9% | 31.8% | 7 |
| 2020s | 21.4% | 18.9% | 25.5% | 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 rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Ghana?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Ghana was 25.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 50.9% in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.9% in 2021.
- How does Ghana rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper?
- Ghana ranks 46th out of 175 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release