Ghana vs Nigeria
Ghana vs Nigeria: Girls in primary school
Girls in primary school: 86.6% in Ghana in 2019 and 58.1% in Nigeria in 2010, by Our World in Data estimates. In 2009 the value was higher in Ghana, by 14.6 percentage points, or 1.25 times that in Nigeria.
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
What the numbers say
- Ghana has been higher since 2007, when it overtook Nigeria.
- The world as a whole: 87.9% in 2009.
Every year
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
| Year | Ghana | Nigeria | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 86.6 | – | – |
| 2018 | 85.1 | – | 88.2 |
| 2017 | 85.8 | – | 88.2 |
| 2016 | 87.1 | – | 88.3 |
| 2015 | 89.5 | – | 88.2 |
| 2014 | 87.2 | – | 88.3 |
| 2013 | 85.1 | – | 88.2 |
| 2012 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2011 | 80.7 | – | 88.1 |
| 2010 | – | 58.1 | 87.9 |
| 2009 | 72.5 | 57.9 | 87.9 |
| 2008 | 73.6 | 56.7 | 87.6 |
| 2007 | 68.2 | 62.7 | 87.2 |
| 2006 | 63.1 | 63.3 | 86 |
| 2005 | 63.3 | 62.1 | 85.4 |
| 2004 | – | 61.5 | 84.7 |
| 2003 | 59.6 | – | 83.5 |
| 2002 | 59.5 | – | 81.4 |
| 2001 | 56.8 | – | 81 |
| 2000 | 61.5 | 59.2 | 80.7 |
| 1999 | 57.9 | 56.3 | 79.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 78.9 |
| 1997 | – | – | 78.1 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.9 |
| 1995 | – | – | 78 |
| 1994 | – | – | 78.3 |
| 1993 | – | – | 78 |
| 1992 | – | – | 77.7 |
| 1991 | – | – | 77.8 |
| 1990 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1989 | – | – | 77.6 |
| 1988 | – | – | 76.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 75.8 |
| 1986 | – | – | 75.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 74 |
| 1980 | 44.4 | – | 75.8 |
| 1975 | 42.4 | – | 72.9 |
| 1970 | 37.5 | – | 69 |
| 1965 | 56.3 | – | 66 |
| 1960 | 25 | – | 63.1 |
| 1955 | 27 | – | 57.4 |
| 1950 | 12 | – | 51.4 |
| 1945 | 9.3 | – | 43.5 |
| 1940 | 7.2 | – | 40 |
| 1935 | 5.5 | – | 38.2 |
| 1930 | 4.2 | – | 36.4 |
| 1925 | 3.2 | – | 33 |
| 1920 | 2.4 | – | 30.5 |
| 1915 | 1.9 | – | 29.2 |
| 1910 | 1.4 | – | 28.1 |
| 1905 | 1.1 | – | 25.1 |
| 1900 | 0.8 | – | 23.3 |
| 1895 | 0.6 | – | 21.8 |
| 1890 | 0.5 | – | 20 |
| 1885 | 0.4 | – | 19 |
| 1880 | 0.3 | – | 17.2 |
| 1875 | 0.2 | – | 15.7 |
| 1870 | 0.2 | – | 13.2 |
| 1865 | 0.1 | – | 10.6 |
| 1860 | 0.1 | – | 9.3 |
| 1855 | 0.1 | – | 8 |
| 1850 | 0.1 | – | 6.8 |
| 1845 | 0 | – | 5.9 |
| 1840 | 0 | – | 5.2 |
| 1835 | 0 | – | 4.5 |
| 1830 | 0 | – | 4 |
| 1825 | 0 | – | 3.5 |
| 1820 | 0 | – | 3.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of girls of primary-school age who are enrolled in school.
- Source: Our World in Data, joining historical estimates to the World Bank’s.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Ghana vs Nigeria
Health
- Life expectancyGhana: 65.5 years in 2023Nigeria: 54.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGhana: 3.6 per 100 live births in 2024Nigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGhana: 30.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Nigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterGhana: 44.5% in 2022Nigeria: 29% in 2022
- DepressionGhana: 3.4% in 2017Nigeria: 3.92% in 2017
- Suicide rateGhana: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Nigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGhana: 33.8 million people in 2023Nigeria: 228 million people in 2023
- Population growthGhana: 1.9% a year in 2023Nigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGhana: 3.4 births per woman in 2023Nigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGhana: 58.9% in 2025Nigeria: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageGhana: 20.9 years in 2023Nigeria: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGhana: 3.6% in 2023Nigeria: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateGhana: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Nigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGhana: 0.48% of GDP in 2025Nigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGhana: $385M in 2025Nigeria: $1.76B in 2025
- Military spending per personGhana: $15 in 2025Nigeria: $9 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGhana: 2.4% of government spending in 2025Nigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGhana: 16,000 people in 2020Nigeria: 223,000 people in 2020
- National powerGhana: 0.17% of world capability in 2022Nigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGhana: 0.13% of the labour force in 2020Nigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGhana: 5 million TIV in 2025Nigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsGhana: 19 million TIV in 2005Nigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022