School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Ghana
Ghana: School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) was 10.65 years in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
10.65 years
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
145th
of 213 countries
All-time high
10.77 years
in 2021
All-time low
5.73 years
in 1975
Years of data
44
1971–2024
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ghana, 1971–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ghana is 10.65 years, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ghana peaked at 10.77 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5.73 years, in 1975.
Ghana ranks 145th of 213 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 6.43 years | — |
| 1973 | 6.09 years | -5.4% |
| 1974 | 5.82 years | -4.4% |
| 1975 | 5.73 years | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 5.95 years | +3.8% |
| 1977 | 6.03 years | +1.3% |
| 1978 | 6.06 years | +0.6% |
| 1979 | 6.15 years | +1.6% |
| 1980 | 6.33 years | +2.9% |
| 1981 | 6.52 years | +2.9% |
| 1982 | 6.57 years | +0.9% |
| 1983 | 6.58 years | +0.1% |
| 1984 | 6.44 years | -2.1% |
| 1985 | 6.46 years | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 6.26 years | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 6.34 years | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 6.44 years | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 6.37 years | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 6.29 years | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 6.71 years | +6.7% |
| 1999 | 6.9 years | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 7.18 years | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 6.81 years | -5.2% |
| 2002 | 7.11 years | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 7.01 years | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 7.43 years | +6.0% |
| 2005 | 7.96 years | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 8.39 years | +5.5% |
| 2007 | 8.99 years | +7.1% |
| 2008 | 9.48 years | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 9.57 years | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 10.1 years | +5.5% |
| 2012 | 10.36 years | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 10.4 years | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 9.99 years | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 10.44 years | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 10.38 years | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 10.25 years | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 10.25 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 10.53 years | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 10.62 years | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 10.77 years | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 10.56 years | -1.9% |
| 2024 | 10.65 years | +0.8% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 10.65 years is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.58 years, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 10.65 years is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.03 years, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.03 years | 5.73 years | 6.43 years | 8 |
| 1980s | 6.43 years | 6.26 years | 6.58 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.63 years | 6.29 years | 6.9 years | 3 |
| 2000s | 7.99 years | 6.81 years | 9.57 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.3 years | 9.99 years | 10.53 years | 9 |
| 2020s | 10.65 years | 10.56 years | 10.77 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 142 Romania 10.77 years compare
- 143 Palestine 10.74 years compare
- 144 Dominican Republic 10.7 years compare
- 146 Myanmar 10.63 years compare
- 147 Solomon Islands 10.59 years compare
- 148 Papua New Guinea 10.58 years 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 school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ghana?
- School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ghana was 10.65 years in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 10.77 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.73 years in 1975.
- How does Ghana rank for school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes?
- Ghana ranks 145th out of 213 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release