Women still leading as illiteracy figures hit 7.9 million – GSS report

An upcoming report from the Ghana Statistical Service has revealed that 7.9 million persons aged 6 years and older in Ghana are illiterate.

This means that they cannot read and write with understanding.

This figure as broken down by the GSS noted that 4.6 million females are illiterate and 3.3 million males are illiterate “indicating a female disadvantage that has been persistent over time.”

The report also stated 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.

A statement released by the Statistical Service on September 8, 2022, stated that “Ghana has 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.”

“This has necessitated the production of the 2021 PHC Thematic Report Brief on Illiteracy in Ghana which will be released later this month. The report provides direction for stakeholders to target hotspots and drivers of illiteracy in Ghana as it focuses on three broad areas: trends, patterns, and correlates of illiteracy,” it added.