The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has highlighted the geographic variations in illiteracy on International Literacy Day, which is being celebrated today, Friday, 8 September 2023.
According to the GSS, Data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) indicates that only nine of the 261 districts account for more than a tenth (10.4%) of the 7.9 million illiterate persons 6 years and older.
Four of the nine districts are in the Northern Region, two in the North East Region, and one each in the Savannah, Volta, and Upper East regions.
These districts include: “Tamale Metropolitan Assembly (123,455), Nanumba North Municipal (100,046), East Mamprusi Municipal (98,293), Sagnarigu Municipal (94,006), Gushegu Municipal (92,056), West Mamprusi Municipal (82,262), Central Gonja (81,261), Ketu South Municipal (76,082), and Bawku West (74,798).”
However, nine of the “districts combined have 822,259 persons 6 years and older who are not literate i.e., cannot read and write with understanding in any language.”
While “one in every five districts (53 out of the 261) had at least half of the population 6 years and older being illiterate.”
The Karaga district has the highest “percent illiterate” of 81.0 per cent, followed by the “Gushegu Municipal” 80.7 per cent, and “North East Gonja” with 80.3 per cent districts.
Also, “six districts had more than three-quarters of the population 6 years and older that was illiterate.” Including the “Mion” with 77.7 per cent; “North Gonja” with 77.3 percent; and “Mamprugu Moagduri” with 76.4% districts and the three aforementioned districts; Karaga, Gushegu and North East Gonja.
Meanwhile, nine out of the 16 regions had at least one district that had more than half of its population 6 years and older that was illiterate: Northern (14), Upper West (10), Upper East (8), Savannah (6), North East (5), Bono East (4), Oti (4), Eastern (1), and Ashanti (1).
“There were 15 districts with less than 10.0 percent of the population that was illiterate. All except one of these 15 districts were in the Greater Accra Region and Ashanti is the only region to have a district with an illiteracy rate of less than 10.0 percent (Kwadaso Municipal) and a district with an illiteracy rate greater than 50.0 percent (Sekyere Afram Plains),” the report disclosed.
Additionally, the district with the lowest illiteracy rate was Ayawaso West Municipal with “5.9 per cent”, followed by La Dade-Kotopon Municipal with “6.1 percent,” and Tema West Municipal with “6.2 per cent.”
International Literacy Day is commemorated annually on 8th September to raise awareness of the importance of literacy.
The theme for this year’s International Literacy Day is “Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies.”
Discussion about this post