Religion and Educational Attainment in Ghana: A Gender and Spatial Analysis

This study examined how educational attainment levels among the various denominations in Ghana differ across gender and geographical residence. The study used data from the sixth round of the Ghana standard living survey. Both parametric (multilevel mixed-effect models) and non-parametric methods (treatment effect models) were used to analyze the data. The results show that, compared to those who have no religious identity, religious affiliation significantly increases the probability of attaining high level of education. Among males, religious affiliation increases the probability of attaining high level of education by about 63% compared to 50% among females. Compared to the non-religious, in the urban areas, religious affiliation significantly increases the probability of attaining high level of education by about 85% but 34% in rural areas. The study concludes that across the various religious denominations, there are gender and geographical differences in educational attainment: those in rural areas and women find themselves at the bottom of educational attainment. The major implications of the study are discussed.