Ghana’s primary school enrolment was 86.2% net in 2019.

Higher is better. A higher ratio means more children of the right age are in a classroom when schooling is meant to begin, so a rise is good news. The latest figure is 86.2% net for 2019, up from 84.5% net in 2018, a gain of 1.7 percentage points over the year. Since 2009 the range runs from a low of 72.4% net in 2009 to a high of 89.3% net in 2015. The 2019 reading sits well above that low and still short of the 2015 peak.

Why it matters. At 86.2% net, most Ghanaian households have a primary-age child on a school roll, though part of the age group is still outside primary classrooms. Those children start with a disadvantage in literacy and in later job prospects. For the state, the shortfall from the 2015 level of 89.3% net sets the target for school places, teachers and outreach to families whose children have not enrolled.