Children out of school, primary in Ghana

Ghana: Children out of school, primary was 235,313 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
235,313
Change on year
down 50.2%
World rank
36th
of 197 countries
All-time high
1.34 million
in 1999
All-time low
10,368
in 2016
Years of data
20
1999–2024

Children out of school, primary in Ghana, 1999–2024

0500.0k1.0M1.5M1999201120241999: 1.3M2000: 1.1M2001: 1.3M2002: 1.2M2003: 1.2M2005: 988.8k2006: 920.1k2007: 758.7k2008: 593.8k2009: 624.6k2011: 438.2k2012: 529.3k2014: 392.8k2016: 10.4k2017: 299.2k2018: 364.4k2019: 251.2k2020: 492.0k2021: 472.8k2024: 235.3k

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Analysis

The most recent figure for children out of school, primary in Ghana is 235,313, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 50.2% on the previous year and down 40.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, children out of school, primary in Ghana peaked at 1.34 million in 1999 and was at its lowest, 10,368, in 2016.

That places Ghana 36th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.34 million 1.34 million 1.34 million 1
2000s 955,188 593,776 1.28 million 9
2010s 326,502 10,368 529,329 7
2020s 400,036 235,313 492,043 3

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 33 Mauritania 291,098 compare
  2. 34 Colombia 289,295 compare
  3. 35 Indonesia 250,575 compare
  4. 37 Benin 213,285 compare
  5. 38 Guatemala 201,342 compare
  6. 39 Ukraine 193,775 compare

See the full ranking of 202 places →

More education data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is children out of school, primary in Ghana?
Children out of school, primary in Ghana was 235,313 in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest children out of school, primary recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 1.34 million in 1999.
What is the lowest children out of school, primary recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 10,368 in 2016.
How does Ghana rank for children out of school, primary?
Ghana ranks 36th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
Is children out of school, primary rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ghana data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Children out of school, primary. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Children out of school, primary
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
202 places, 4,752 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.