Ghana's government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) was 2.91% in 2022, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 5.01 percentage points from 7.92% in 2012.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 2.91% | 2022 |
| Five years earlier | 3.53% | 2017 |
| Ten years earlier | 7.92% | 2012 |
| Highest | 8.14% | 2011 |
| Lowest | 1.81% | 1981 |
| Average since 2013 | 3.81% | 2013–2022 |
| First recorded | 4.22% | 1971 |
What the numbers say
In 2022, Ghana's government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) fell 0.49 percentage points on 2021 (from 3.4% to 2.91%).
Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2021), the average change was −0.08 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.06 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.6 percentage points in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.34 percentage points in 2013. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.18 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 85% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2022, Ghana had the 43rd highest value of the 47 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Ghana | 2.91% | 2022 |
| World | 3.57% | 2023 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 3.26% | 2023 |
| Lower middle income | 3.39% | 2023 |
Closest to Ghana in the 2022 ranking
- Greece — 39th of 47: 3.38%
- Romania — 40th of 47: 3.28%
- Türkiye — 41st of 47: 3.1%
- San Marino — 43rd of 47: 2.9%
- Viet Nam — 44th of 47: 2.89%
- Congo, Dem. Rep. — 45th of 47: 2.84%
What this measures
General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.
Limitations: Data may refer to spending by the ministry of education only (excluding spending on educational activities by other ministries).
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a median.
All 34 values
| Year | Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 2.91 |
| 2021 | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 3.41 |
| 2019 | 3.15 |
| 2018 | 3.89 |
| 2017 | 3.53 |
| 2016 | 4.39 |
| 2015 | 4.43 |
| 2014 | 4.4 |
| 2013 | 4.58 |
| 2012 |
Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) in nearby economies
- Angola — 2.51% (2023)
- Benin — 3.23% (2023)
- Botswana — 8.06% (2020)
- Burkina Faso — 5.33% (2023)
- Burundi — 4.5% (2025)
- Cabo Verde — 4.35% (2023)
- Cameroon — 2.84% (2023)
- Central African Republic — 1.83% (2023)
- Chad — 3.2% (2023)
- Comoros
More education data for Ghana
- Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils — 4.98 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 100.97% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 100.67% (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 101.25% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers — 122,558 (2024)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.02 (2020)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Ghana's government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)?
- 2.91% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1971?
- It is down 1.31 percentage points from 4.22% in 1971. The highest value was 8.14% in 2011 and the lowest 1.81% in 1981.
- How does Ghana rank?
- 43rd highest of 47 economies with data for 2022.
- Is the latest change in government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) unusual for Ghana?
- In 2022, Ghana's government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) fell 0.49 percentage points on 2021 (from 3.4% to 2.91%). Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2021), the average change was −0.08 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.06 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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