Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana

Ghana: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes was 0.8% in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
0.8%
Change on year
down 77.5%
World rank
133rd
of 188 countries
All-time high
40.2%
in 1999
All-time low
0.8%
in 2019
Years of data
15
1999–2019

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana, 1999–2019

0102030401999200920191999: 40.2 %2000: 32.1 %2001: 37.5 %2002: 33.5 %2003: 34.2 %2005: 29.4 %2006: 27.3 %2007: 22 %2008: 16.4 %2009: 15.9 %2011: 8 %2012: 8.8 %2017: 2.2 %2018: 3.6 %2019: 0.816 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana is 0.8%, measured in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 15 years on record.

The figure is down 77.5% on the previous year and down 94.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana peaked at 40.2% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.8%, in 2019.

That places Ghana 133rd out of 188 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%) in Ghana, 1999 to 2019.
Year % Change
1999 40.2%
2000 32.1% -20.2%
2001 37.5% +17.0%
2002 33.5% -10.7%
2003 34.2% +2.0%
2005 29.4% -14.0%
2006 27.3% -7.2%
2007 22.0% -19.4%
2008 16.4% -25.5%
2009 15.9% -2.9%
2011 8.0% -49.8%
2012 8.8% +10.2%
2017 2.2% -75.2%
2018 3.6% +66.3%
2019 0.8% -77.5%

Ghana compared with similar countries

  • Ghana's 0.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.0%, 14% of the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Ghana's 0.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.4%, 6% of the median. (45 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 40.2% 40.2% 40.2% 1
2000s 27.6% 15.9% 37.5% 9
2010s 4.7% 0.8% 8.8% 5

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 130 Luxembourg 1.0% compare
  2. 131 South Korea 0.9% compare
  3. 132 Kazakhstan 0.9% compare
  4. 134 Cuba 0.8% compare
  5. 135 Grenada 0.8% compare
  6. 136 Egypt 0.7% compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More education data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana?
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana was 0.8% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 40.2% in 1999.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 0.8% in 2019.
How does Ghana rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes?
Ghana ranks 133rd out of 188 countries with data for 2019.
Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 94.9%. 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 rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes in Ghana. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-of-primary-school-age-both-sexes-percent/ghana/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
233 places, 6,366 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

The number of students of the official age for primary education is subtracted from the total population of the same age. The result is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for primary education. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/