The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has released its monthly press release, which sheds light on the education and employment status of the country's youth. According to the Annual Household Income and Expenditure Survey 2022 Third Quarter Labour Statistics Report, over 1.5 million Ghanaians aged 15 to 24 were not in education, employment, or training (NEET) during the third quarter of 2022.
According to the data, one in every four young individuals in this age group, or 24.2% of the population, were unable to access educational and occupational options throughout the designated time period. Greater Accra, Ashanti, Eastern, and Central regions contributed for more than half of the youth NEET population, with Greater Accra leading the way with 312,394 people, closely followed by Ashanti with 300,161 people. Furthermore, in 13 of the 16 regions, more than 20% of young people aged 15 to 24 were found to be not enrolled in school, employment, or training.
The Eastern Region had the highest proportion of disengaged youth, over twice that of the Bono Region, which had the lowest proportion at 14.5%.
The GSS also highlighted findings from the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC), which revealed that 11.1% of individuals aged 15 to 24 years, equivalent to 1.4 million young people, had never attended school. Among this age group, a slightly higher percentage of females (12.0%) had never attended school compared to males (10.2%).
The Savannah, North East, Northern, Upper West, and Oti regions recorded more than 20% of young people who had never attended school. These five regions accounted for nearly half (665,508) of the total number of young individuals who had never accessed formal education.
Furthermore, the census reported an unemployment rate of 32.8% among individuals aged 15 to 24 years, with females experiencing a higher rate of unemployment (36.7%) compared to males (29.3%). The unemployment rate for this age group exceeded 30% in 12 out of the 16 regions, with the Upper West Region leading at 39.0%, followed closely by Western North at 38.4%.
The release of this data coincided with World Youth Skills Day, celebrated annually on July 15, which aims to emphasize the significance of equipping young people with skills for employment, decent work, and entrepreneurship. The theme for this year, "skilling teachers, trainers, and youth for a transformative future," highlights the importance of providing quality education and vocational training opportunities to empower young individuals in shaping their futures.
