Ghana education in numbers: six figures to start with
The cards below use the latest year each source has published, and that year differs by indicator. Pupils per teacher stops at 2019 because the World Bank series stops there. Spending stops at 2022. Enrolment and internet use run to 2024.
Young people in university (tertiary gross enrolment, 2024)
21.3%
▼ Down 0.8% points on 2023
Ghanaians using the internet (2024)
72.2%
▲ Up 1.5% points on 2023
Education spending as a share of GDP (2022)
2.9%
▼ Down 1.5% points since 2014
Girls in secondary school, gross enrolment (2024)
76.4%
▲ Up 1.4% points above boys
Pupils per primary teacher (2019, latest)
27.0
▼ Down 5.3 since 2004
Ghana-educated nurses joining the UK register (2025-26)
1,391
▼ Down 22% on 2024-25 (1,783)
Source: World Bank Open Data (UNESCO Institute for Statistics, ITU, ILO series) and the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council. Last checked 13 October 2026.
Each card shows the latest year its source has published, which differs by indicator: tertiary and internet 2024, education spending 2022, pupils per teacher 2019, UK nurses 2025-26.
For the full list of indicators, topic by topic, see the Ghana education data hub. For the number of schools on our own register, start with schools and the regions pages.
Who we train, and who leaves
New UK registrations of Ghana-trained nurses and midwives fell by 22% in the year to March 2026, yet Ghana moved up to third place among international sources. The first story sets this beside doctor numbers and the conflicting counts for lawyers and engineers.
View the data as a table
| Item | 2024/25 | 2025/26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | 9,249 new joiners | 4,215 new joiners | -5,034 new joiners |
| Nigeria | 2,363 new joiners | 1,614 new joiners | -749 new joiners |
| Ghana | 1,783 new joiners | 1,391 new joiners | -392 new joiners |
Source: Nursing and Midwifery Council (UK), annual data report 2026, official. Last checked 13 October 2026.
Read the full story: Ghana's talent pipeline: who we train, who leaves.
Girls caught up, then came the STEM wall
By 2024 girls were level with boys in secondary enrolment and women level with men in tertiary enrolment. The second story asks what happens after enrolment, in subject choice and in the north.
View the data as a table
| Item | 2009 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secondary, girls | 44.5 % gross enrolment ratio | 76.4 % gross enrolment ratio | +32.0 % gross enrolment ratio |
| Secondary, boys | 51.3 % gross enrolment ratio | 75.0 % gross enrolment ratio | +23.7 % gross enrolment ratio |
| Tertiary, women | 6.3 % gross enrolment ratio | 21.6 % gross enrolment ratio | +15.3 % gross enrolment ratio |
| Tertiary, men | 10.3 % gross enrolment ratio | 21.1 % gross enrolment ratio | +10.8 % gross enrolment ratio |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (UNESCO Institute for Statistics data), gross enrolment ratios. Last checked 13 October 2026.
Gross ratios count everyone enrolled at a level, whatever their age, divided by the school-age population, so they can overstate who is really in class.
Read the full story: Girls caught up. Then came the STEM wall. For the older gap data, see girls and boys in school.
The education budget
Measured as a share of GDP, government spending on education was lower in 2022 than in 2014. Earlier years are left out because the GDP series was rebased between 2012 and 2013. Our own calculation, shown with its method on the story page, puts real spending per primary and secondary pupil about a quarter lower in 2022 than in 2014.
View the data as a table
| Period | Education spending, % of GDP |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 4.40 % of GDP |
| 2015 | 4.43 % of GDP |
| 2016 | 4.39 % of GDP |
| 2017 | 3.53 % of GDP |
| 2018 | 3.89 % of GDP |
| 2019 | 3.15 % of GDP |
| 2020 | 3.41 % of GDP |
| 2021 | 3.40 % of GDP |
| 2022 | 2.91 % of GDP |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators, SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS (UNESCO Institute for Statistics data), series updated 8 October 2026. Last checked 13 October 2026.
A share of GDP can fall because spending fell or because GDP grew. The per-pupil section further down separates the two.
View the data as a table
| Period | Pupils, primary and secondary | Real spending | Real spending per pupil |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 100.0 index, 2014 = 100 | 100.0 index, 2014 = 100 | 100.0 index, 2014 = 100 |
| 2015 | 106.3 index, 2014 = 100 | 102.9 index, 2014 = 100 | 96.9 index, 2014 = 100 |
| 2016 | 107.6 index, 2014 = 100 | 105.4 index, 2014 = 100 | 98.0 index, 2014 = 100 |
| 2017 | 108.8 index, 2014 = 100 | 91.7 index, 2014 = 100 | 84.3 index, 2014 = 100 |
| 2018 | 110.9 index, 2014 = 100 | 107.1 index, 2014 = 100 | 96.6 index, 2014 = 100 |
| 2019 | 116.0 index, 2014 = 100 | 92.5 index, 2014 = 100 | 79.8 index, 2014 = 100 |
| 2020 | 119.1 index, 2014 = 100 | 100.6 index, 2014 = 100 | 84.4 index, 2014 = 100 |
| 2021 | 123.7 index, 2014 = 100 | 105.4 index, 2014 = 100 | 85.2 index, 2014 = 100 |
| 2022 | 126.1 index, 2014 = 100 | 93.6 index, 2014 = 100 | 74.2 index, 2014 = 100 |
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators: SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS, NY.GDP.MKTP.CN, NY.GDP.DEFL.ZS, SE.PRM.ENRL, SE.SEC.ENRL (UNESCO Institute for Statistics and national accounts data), series updated 8 October 2026. Index and per-pupil figures are SchoolRegistry calculations. Last checked 13 October 2026.
This is our calculation, not an official statistic. The GDP deflator tracks prices across the whole economy, not the cost of teaching. Pupils are primary plus secondary only, while spending covers every level, so the level of GH¢ per pupil is overstated and the trend is the point. Annual values jump around, so read the direction, not single years.
Read the full story: Paying for school: Ghana's education budget squeeze. Our existing page on Free SHS in numbers sits alongside it.
Universities and TVET
Tertiary enrolment grew from about 5% of the age group in 2005 to about 22% in 2023. The fourth story also lays out three reported TVET totals that do not match.
View the data as a table
| Period | Ghana, tertiary gross enrolment |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 5.4 % of age group |
| 2006 | 4.8 % of age group |
| 2007 | 5.9 % of age group |
| 2008 | 7.9 % of age group |
| 2009 | 8.3 % of age group |
| 2010 | Not published |
| 2011 | 11.3 % of age group |
| 2012 | 11.5 % of age group |
| 2013 | 13.4 % of age group |
| 2014 | 15.1 % of age group |
| 2015 | 15.6 % of age group |
| 2016 | 15.6 % of age group |
| 2017 | 16.2 % of age group |
| 2018 | 15.9 % of age group |
| 2019 | 17.4 % of age group |
| 2020 | 18.6 % of age group |
| 2021 | 19.2 % of age group |
| 2022 | 20.5 % of age group |
| 2023 | 22.1 % of age group |
| 2024 | 21.3 % of age group |
Source: World Bank, based on UNESCO Institute for Statistics data (SE.TER.ENRR). Last checked 13 October 2026.
Read the full story: 75 years of Ghanaian universities, and the TVET numbers nobody agrees on. Our lists of universities and technical universities carry each institution's status.
Internet, mobile and learning
Internet use rose from 7.8% to 72.2% of Ghanaians between 2010 and 2024. The fifth story looks at fixed broadband, electricity and exam results side by side, without claiming one caused the other.
View the data as a table
| Period | People using the internet |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 7.8% |
| 2011 | 9% |
| 2012 | 10.6% |
| 2013 | 15% |
| 2014 | 19% |
| 2015 | 23% |
| 2016 | 28% |
| 2017 | 37.9% |
| 2018 | 43% |
| 2019 | Not published |
| 2020 | 62.5% |
| 2021 | 68.6% |
| 2022 | 69.9% |
| 2023 | 70.7% |
| 2024 | 72.2% |
Source: ITU data republished by the World Bank, Individuals using the Internet (IT.NET.USER.ZS). Last checked 13 October 2026.
The published 2019 value (22.1%) sits between 43.0% in 2018 and 62.5% in 2020, which points to a break in the series, so we do not plot it.
Read the full story: Connected but not learning? Internet, mobile and education in Ghana. See also WASSCE results statistics.
Cite this data
How we got these numbers
Each story has its own method box. In short: international series come from the World Bank's open data, which repackages UNESCO Institute for Statistics, ITU and ILO figures. UK nursing numbers come from the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council's annual data report. Exam, TVET and Free SHS figures that we could only read in press reports are marked as reported. Where two sources disagree we show both. We do not fill gaps with estimates, and a missing value is shown as not published.
Research partner: SchoolRegistry is part of the same research group as PollsAfrica, the survey and research firm that runs polling across Africa.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use these charts in an article or report?
Yes. Our own compilations are CC BY 4.0. Use the embed code or the PNG download, keep the credit line, and name the original publisher shown under the chart.
How current is the data?
It is the latest year each source has published, and the year is shown on every figure. We last checked everything on 13 October 2026. Stories are rechecked every quarter.
Where can I get the numbers as a spreadsheet?
Every chart has a CSV download. The file carries the source and the date on its last line.
Why do some series stop in 2019 or 2022?
Because the publisher has not released later values. We show the last published year rather than guess.
Who writes these stories?
The SchoolRegistry Editorial Committee. Corrections can be sent to press@schoolregistryghana.com and are logged in each story's update log.
Sources
- World Bank, World Development Indicators for Ghana (checked 13 October 2026)
- UK Nursing and Midwifery Council, annual data report 2026 (checked 13 October 2026)
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, data for Ghana (checked 13 October 2026)
- International Telecommunication Union, DataHub (checked 13 October 2026)