Share of the population with at least some formal education in Ghana
Ghana: Share of the population with at least some formal education was 84.1% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of the population with at least some formal education in Ghana, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population with at least some formal education in Ghana is 84.1%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with at least some formal education in Ghana peaked at 84.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1870.
That places Ghana 90th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of the population with at least some formal education in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 0.2% | — |
| 1875 | 0.3% | +50.0% |
| 1880 | 0.4% | +33.3% |
| 1885 | 0.5% | +25.0% |
| 1890 | 0.7% | +40.0% |
| 1895 | 0.9% | +28.6% |
| 1900 | 1.2% | +33.3% |
| 1905 | 2.5% | +108.3% |
| 1910 | 3.8% | +52.0% |
| 1915 | 4.7% | +23.7% |
| 1920 | 6.4% | +36.2% |
| 1925 | 7.4% | +15.6% |
| 1930 | 8.4% | +13.5% |
| 1935 | 10.1% | +20.2% |
| 1940 | 11.1% | +9.9% |
| 1945 | 11.8% | +6.3% |
| 1950 | 13.7% | +16.1% |
| 1955 | 15.7% | +14.6% |
| 1960 | 22.1% | +40.8% |
| 1965 | 29.3% | +32.6% |
| 1970 | 37.5% | +28.0% |
| 1975 | 45.4% | +21.1% |
| 1980 | 51.1% | +12.6% |
| 1985 | 57.0% | +11.5% |
| 1990 | 61.2% | +7.4% |
| 1995 | 63.9% | +4.4% |
| 2000 | 67.1% | +5.0% |
| 2005 | 71.4% | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 74.6% | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 79.3% | +6.3% |
| 2020 | 84.1% | +6.1% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 84.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 85.2%, 99% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 84.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 78.0%, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 2 |
| 1880s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1890s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 1900s | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 1910s | 4.2% | 3.8% | 4.7% | 2 |
| 1920s | 6.9% | 6.4% | 7.4% | 2 |
| 1930s | 9.2% | 8.4% | 10.1% | 2 |
| 1940s | 11.4% | 11.1% | 11.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 14.7% | 13.7% | 15.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 25.7% | 22.1% | 29.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 41.5% | 37.5% | 45.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 54.0% | 51.1% | 57.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 62.5% | 61.2% | 63.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 69.2% | 67.1% | 71.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 76.9% | 74.6% | 79.3% | 2 |
| 2020s | 84.1% | 84.1% | 84.1% | 1 |
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 share of the population with at least some formal education in Ghana?
- Share of the population with at least some formal education in Ghana was 84.1% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with at least some formal education recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 84.1% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of the population with at least some formal education recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1870.
- How does Ghana rank for share of the population with at least some formal education?
- Ghana ranks 90th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of the population with at least some formal education rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with at least some formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Based on the population aged 15 years and older.