Education in Ghana: Adult Literacy 79% (2018) — Gender Gap Narrowing

Ghana's adult literacy rate (15+) was 79.0% in 2018 (World Bank) — up from 71.5% (2010).

By Gender

• Male: 87.5% (2018) — up from 82.9% (2010)
• Female: 80.8% (2018) — up from 75.3% (2010)
• Gap: 6.7 pp (down from 7.6 pp)

Context

• Free SHS (2017): Senior High School tuition-free → enrollment surge.
• Primary completion: ~95% (gender parity achieved).
• Tertiary: ~18% gross enrollment; UG, KNUST, UCC, private unis.
• Challenges: Quality (learning poverty), infrastructure, teacher supply, regional disparity (North < South).

What "Educated" Means

Literacy = read/write simple statement. Not secondary/tertiary completion. For workforce skills, look at TVET, STEM grads, digital literacy — growing but gaps remain.