7.9 million Ghanaians aged 6 and older are illiterate, according to a forthcoming report from the Ghana Statistical Service.

As a result, they are unable to grasp what they read and write.

According to the GSS, this number shows that 4.6 million women and 3.3 million men are illiterate, "indicating a female disadvantage that has been persistent over time.”

Per the report the number of illiterate individuals (15 years and older) increased by 1.2 million during the 2010 and 2021 Population and Housing Censuses (PHC), 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.