Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Ghana

Ghana: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 10.6% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
10.6%
Change on year
down 31.8%
World rank
53rd
of 150 countries
All-time high
38.8%
in 1999
All-time low
9.5%
in 2015
Years of data
17
1999–2019

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Ghana, 1999–2019

102030401999200920191999: 38.8 %2000: 36.8 %2001: 38.3 %2002: 34.1 %2003: 34.8 %2005: 22.4 %2006: 17.2 %2007: 21.2 %2008: 19 %2009: 19.4 %2013: 12.3 %2014: 15 %2015: 9.5 %2016: 11.8 %2017: 12.1 %2018: 15.5 %2019: 10.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Ghana is 10.6%, measured in 2019.

The figure is down 31.8% on the previous year and down 45.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Ghana peaked at 38.8% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 9.5%, in 2015.

Ghana ranks 53rd of 150 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 17 years of available data.

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Ghana, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%) in Ghana, 1999 to 2019.
Year % Change
1999 38.8%
2000 36.8% -5.2%
2001 38.3% +4.1%
2002 34.1% -11.0%
2003 34.8% +2.1%
2005 22.4% -35.7%
2006 17.2% -23.0%
2007 21.2% +22.9%
2008 19.0% -10.2%
2009 19.4% +2.1%
2013 12.3% -36.9%
2014 15.0% +22.2%
2015 9.5% -36.7%
2016 11.8% +23.9%
2017 12.1% +2.5%
2018 15.5% +28.9%
2019 10.6% -31.8%

Ghana compared with similar countries

  • Ghana's 10.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 12.3%, 86% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
  • Ghana's 10.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 21.4%, 49% of the median. (27 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 38.8% 38.8% 38.8% 1
2000s 27.0% 17.2% 38.3% 9
2010s 12.4% 9.5% 15.5% 7

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 50 Bhutan 12.0% compare
  2. 51 Mongolia 10.9% compare
  3. 52 Philippines 10.7% compare
  4. 54 Armenia 10.3% compare
  5. 55 Cuba 10.2% compare
  6. 56 Timor-Leste 10.2% compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More education data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Ghana?
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Ghana was 10.6% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 38.8% in 1999.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 9.5% in 2015.
How does Ghana rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
Ghana ranks 53rd out of 150 countries with data for 2019.
Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 45.5%. 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 of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in Ghana. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-of-lower-secondary-school-age-both-sexes-percent/ghana/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
195 places, 3,656 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of adolescents of official lower secondary school age who are not enrolled in lower secondary school expressed as a percentage of the population of official lower secondary school age.