Literate and illiterate world population in Ghana

Ghana: Literate and illiterate world population was 23.5% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
23.5%
World rank
35th
of 128 countries
All-time high
77.5%
in 1950
All-time low
23.5%
in 2021
Years of data
6
1950–2021

Literate and illiterate world population in Ghana, 1950–2021

204060801950198520211950: 77.5 %2000: 42.1 %2010: 28.5 %2015: 39.8 %2017: 35.5 %2021: 23.5 %

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2021, literate and illiterate world population in Ghana stood at 23.5%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.

That represents a change of down 17.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Ghana peaked at 77.5% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 23.5%, in 2021.

Ghana ranks 35th of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 77.5% 77.5% 77.5% 1
2000s 42.1% 42.1% 42.1% 1
2010s 34.6% 28.5% 39.8% 3
2020s 23.5% 23.5% 23.5% 1

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 32 Algeria 24.9% compare
  2. 33 Comoros 24.4% compare
  3. 34 Laos 24.4% compare
  4. 36 Uganda 23.0% compare
  5. 37 India 21.8% compare
  6. 38 Tanzania 21.8% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Ghana?
Literate and illiterate world population in Ghana was 23.5% in 2021, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 77.5% in 1950.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 23.5% in 2021.
How does Ghana rank for literate and illiterate world population?
Ghana ranks 35th out of 128 countries with data for 2021.
Is literate and illiterate world population rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ghana data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Literate and illiterate world population
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed

Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.