Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in Ghana

Ghana: Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults was 5.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
5.3%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
161st
of 188 countries
All-time high
16.4%
in 2000
All-time low
4.7%
in 2013
Years of data
34
1991–2024

Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in Ghana, 1991–2024

57.51012.51517.51991200720241991: 5.6 %1992: 7.5 %1993: 8.3 %1994: 9.3 %1995: 10.2 %1996: 11.1 %1997: 12 %1998: 12.9 %1999: 15.9 %2000: 16.4 %2001: 15.4 %2002: 14.3 %2003: 13.1 %2004: 11.9 %2005: 10.7 %2006: 9.5 %2007: 10 %2008: 10.3 %2009: 10.8 %2010: 11.1 %2011: 8.8 %2012: 6.7 %2013: 4.7 %2014: 9.3 %2015: 14.2 %2016: 10.6 %2017: 6.4 %2018: 6.1 %2019: 5.9 %2020: 6.3 %2021: 6 %2022: 5.4 %2023: 5.4 %2024: 5.3 %

Source: International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in Ghana is 5.3%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 42.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in Ghana peaked at 16.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 2013.

That places Ghana 161st out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 10.3% 5.6% 15.9% 9
2000s 12.2% 9.5% 16.4% 10
2010s 8.4% 4.7% 14.2% 10
2020s 5.7% 5.3% 6.3% 5

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 158 Bahrain 5.5% compare
  2. 159 Madagascar 5.5% compare
  3. 160 Ethiopia 5.4% compare
  4. 162 Bolivia 5.2% compare
  5. 163 Nigeria 5.1% compare
  6. 164 Thailand 4.7% compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More work & labour data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in Ghana?
Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults in Ghana was 5.3% in 2024, according to International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest unemployment rate: young vs. older adults recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 16.4% in 2000.
What is the lowest unemployment rate: young vs. older adults recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 2013.
How does Ghana rank for unemployment rate: young vs. older adults?
Ghana ranks 161st out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
Is unemployment rate: young vs. older adults rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 42.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ghana data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults
Unit
%
Source
International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
195 places, 6,621 data points, 1991–2024
Last refreshed

Share of the labor force aged 15-24 without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.