Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Ghana
Ghana: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 2.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Ghana, 1971–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Ghana is 2.9%, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of down 14.4% on the previous year and down 63.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Ghana peaked at 8.1% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 1981.
Ghana ranks 151st of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.5% | 2.3% | 6.1% | 7 |
| 1980s | 2.7% | 1.8% | 3.4% | 6 |
| 1990s | 4.1% | 4.1% | 4.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 6.0% | 5.1% | 7.5% | 7 |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 3.2% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 2.9% | 3.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 148 Guatemala 3.1% compare
- 149 Madagascar 3.0% compare
- 150 Turks and Caicos Islands 2.9% compare
- 152 Ireland 2.9% compare
- 153 San Marino 2.9% compare
- 154 Vietnam 2.9% compare
More reference data data for Ghana
- Number of child deaths per woman 0.1281 under-five deaths per woman (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. Human Development Index 3.4 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.4 live births per woman (2023)
- Fertility rate: births per woman 3.4 live births per woman (2023)
- Human Development Index 0.628 (2023)
- Rule of Law - Governance score 57.89 0-100 (2024)
- Rule of Law - Governance estimate 0.054 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance score 60.43 0-100 (2024)
- Voice and Accountability - Governance estimate 0.2043 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
- Political Stability - Governance estimate 0.0115 approx. -2.5 to +2.5 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Ghana?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Ghana was 2.9% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 8.1% in 2011.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 1981.
- How does Ghana rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Ghana ranks 151st out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 63.3%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.