About 7.9 million Ghanaians are illiterate

Approximately 7.9 million Ghanaians, who cannot read or write, are illiterate, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

They stand for adults over the age of six who are illiterate in both reading and writing.

This information can be found in a press release about new Illiteracy Study report findings that have not yet been released by the GSS.

The news release was sent in honour of World Illiteracy Day, which will be observed on September 8, 2022.

According to the GSS, of the 7.9 million illiterates, 4.6 million were female and 3.3 million were male.

Women are disadvantaged in schooling, according to the GSS, and the issue “has been persistent over time.”

The report also finds that between the 2010 and 2021 Population and Housing Censuses (PHC), 1.2 million more illiterate adults (15 years and older) were added to the population – from 4.3 million in 2010 to 5.5 million in 2021.

According to the report, Ghana had lower levels of adult literacy compared to its comparators (lower middle income and sub-Saharan African countries), after three years of the provisions on illiteracy captured in the Education Strategic Plan (ESP) 2018-2030. That the statement said had necessitated the production of the 2021 PHC Thematic Report Brief on Illiteracy in Ghana which will be released later this month.

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) provides comprehensive, reliable, quality, relevant, accurate and timely statistical information to guide national development as stipulated in Section 3 of the Statistical Service Act, 2019 (Act 1003).

The organisation’s vision is to be a trusted provider of statistical services for good governance and its mission to lead the efficient production and management of quality official statistics based on international standards, using competent staff for evidence-based decision-making, in support of national development.

GSS also produces monthly and quarterly data on important economic indicators such as inflation, Consumer Price Index (CPI), Producer Price Index (PPI), Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as well as population, housing, demographic and economic data at the locality, district, and national levels from routine surveys and censuses.

The statistics generated by GSS can be utilised by a wide cross-section of users including the public sector, businesses, academia, civil society organisations and development partners.