Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Ghana
Ghana: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban was 19.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
19.7%
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
24th
of 68 countries
All-time high
42.7%
in 2014
All-time low
13.0%
in 2018
Years of data
8
2003–2024
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Ghana, 2003–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 19.7% for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in 2024.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and down 53.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Ghana peaked at 42.7% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 13.0%, in 2018.
That places Ghana 24th out of 68 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 28.7% | — |
| 2009 | 25.7% | -10.4% |
| 2011 | 25.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 42.7% | +65.8% |
| 2018 | 13.0% | -69.7% |
| 2022 | 18.1% | +40.1% |
| 2023 | 19.3% | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 19.7% | +1.9% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 19.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 31.6%, 62% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 19.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 29.1%, 68% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.2% | 25.7% | 28.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 27.1% | 13.0% | 42.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 19.0% | 18.1% | 19.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 21 Mexico 22.5% compare
- 22 Kyrgyzstan 20.1% compare
- 23 Jordan 19.9% compare
- 25 Switzerland 19.7% compare
- 26 Armenia 17.7% compare
- 27 South Africa 17.1% 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, urban in Ghana?
- Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban in Ghana was 19.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 42.7% in 2014.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.0% in 2018.
- How does Ghana rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban?
- Ghana ranks 24th out of 68 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, urban rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.9%. 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, urban, male (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