- Seven in 10 young Ghanaians (70%) have secondary or post-secondary education, far outstripping previous generations (Figure 1).
- But youth (aged 18-35) are also more likely than their elders to be unemployed: 27% say they are not employed and are looking for jobs, compared to 20% of 36- to 55- year-olds (Figure 2).
- Management of the economy and unemployment top the list of most important problems that Ghanaian youth want their government to address, followed by infrastructure/roads and education (Figure 3).
- Fewer than four in 10 young Ghanaians say the government is doing a good job of addressing educational needs (39%), managing the economy (16%), and creating jobs (14%). Approval ratings on these issues have plummeted since 2017 (Figure 4).
Management of the economy and unemployment are the most important problems that young Ghanaians want their government to address, the latest Afrobarometer survey shows.
Ghanaian youth (aged 18-35) have more education than their elders, but are also more likely to be unemployed. And few of the youth give their government a passing mark on its performance in addressing their educational needs, managing the economy, and creating jobs.
In Ghana, young people aged 15-35 constitute 38% of the population, while children under age 15 make up another 35%. In efforts to meet the needs of the youth, the government has launched a variety of policies and programmes, ranging from free secondary school, planting for food and jobs, and vocational training to entrepreneurship promotion and job matching programmes.