Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Ghana
Ghana: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both was 25.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
25.1%
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
22nd
of 71 countries
All-time high
41.2%
in 2003
All-time low
18.9%
in 2018
Years of data
8
2003–2024
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Ghana, 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Ghana is 25.1%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 37.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Ghana peaked at 41.2% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 18.9%, in 2018.
Ghana ranks 22nd of 71 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 41.2% | — |
| 2009 | 29.5% | -28.2% |
| 2011 | 30.1% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 40.1% | +33.3% |
| 2018 | 18.9% | -52.9% |
| 2022 | 24.4% | +29.0% |
| 2023 | 25.5% | +4.6% |
| 2024 | 25.1% | -1.4% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 25.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 38.1%, 66% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 25.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.7%, 58% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 35.3% | 29.5% | 41.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 29.7% | 18.9% | 40.1% | 3 |
| 2020s | 25.0% | 24.4% | 25.5% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 19 Cameroon 37.5% compare
- 20 Malawi 33.8% compare
- 21 Sierra Leone 27.3% compare
- 23 Mexico 24.0% compare
- 24 El Salvador 21.7% compare
- 25 Switzerland 19.6% compare
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 youth of upper secondary school age, both in Ghana?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both in Ghana was 25.1% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 41.2% in 2003.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.9% in 2018.
- How does Ghana rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both?
- Ghana ranks 22nd out of 71 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.3%. 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release