As of 2024, some 6.9 million people in Ghana lived in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. dollars per day. This stood as an increase from the previous year when roughly 6.8 million people lived in the said state of poverty. In 2026, around 6.7 million Ghanaians are expected to live on a maximum of 2.15 U.S. dollars daily.

Poverty in the country is segregated

Indeed, poverty figures do not considerably vary when considering men and women apart. In 2024, around 3.5 million men lived in extreme poverty in Ghana, while the count reached roughly 3.3 million for women. On the other hand, in distinguishing the state of extreme poverty among rural and urban dwellers, the difference is striking, even when based on the previously set poverty line of 1.90 U.S. dollars per day. Overall, 1.1 percent of the world's population in extreme poverty lived in Ghana as of 2024.

Ghana's Private Wealth Position in Africa

Ghana is one of the African countries with the highest private wealth concentration, ranking 6th after Kenya as of 2021. That year, the country's total private wealth amounted to 59 billion U.S. dollars, corresponding to around 1,900 U.S. dollars per capita. Between 2011 and 2021, the total wealth held by individuals in Ghana increased, representing a higher growth in comparison to other African countries save five. Overall, the nation ranks 9th in Africa in terms of countries with high net-worth individuals.

In 2023, around **** million people in Ghana lived in extreme poverty, the majority in rural areas. The count of people living on less than **** U.S. dollars a day in rural regions reached around *** million, while ******* extremely poor people were located in urban areas. Overall, within the period examined, the poverty incidence remained above *********** in rural communities and between *** thousand and *** thousand in urban areas.

Ghana GH: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: % data was reported at 7.800 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 11.000 % for 2005. Ghana GH: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: % data is updated yearly, averaging 9.400 % from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2012, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.000 % in 2005 and a record low of 7.800 % in 2012. Ghana GH: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ghana – Table GH.World Bank: Poverty. Poverty gap at national poverty lines is the mean shortfall from the poverty lines (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall) as a percentage of the poverty lines. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

As of 2023, nearly ************* people in Ghana lived in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at **** U.S. dollars a day. This stood as a decrease from the previous year, when over ************* people lived in the said state of poverty. The headcount was expected to keep the declining trend by 2025, when around *********** Ghanaians might live on a maximum of **** U.S. dollars per day.

The international poverty rate in Ghana as of 2021 was forecast at 11.3 percent, considering the 2011 poverty line set at 1.90 U.S. dollars. The same rate was forecast for 2022, which represented a slight increase compared to 2019, when the poverty rate was measured at 11.1 percent. Overall, no significant change in the population’s percentage living on up to 1.90 U.S. dollars per day was expected in the years following 2019. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its impact on economic activities have contributed to the slowly-improving poverty levels registered in the country since that year.

Ghana GH: Multidimensional Poverty Index: scale 0-1 data was reported at 0.247 NA in 2018. This records an increase from the previous number of 0.236 NA for 2016. Ghana GH: Multidimensional Poverty Index: scale 0-1 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.241 NA from Dec 2010 (Median) to 2018, with 4 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.298 NA in 2011 and a record low of 0.179 NA in 2010. Ghana GH: Multidimensional Poverty Index: scale 0-1 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ghana – Table GH.World Bank.WDI: Social: Poverty and Inequality. ;Government statistical agencies. Data for EU countires are from the EUROSTAT;;

Historical dataset showing Ghana poverty rate by year from 1987 to 2016.

Poverty rate at $3.2 a day of Ghana dropped by 5.85% from 59.80 % in 2012 to 56.30 % in 2016. Since the 0.78% upward trend in 1991, poverty rate at $3.2 a day plummeted by 37.65% in 2016. Population below $3.1 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.1 a day at 2005 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

In 2024, an estimated 6.9 million people in Ghana lived in extreme poverty, the majority being the male population. The number of men in the country living on less than 2.15 U.S. dollars a day reached around 3.5 million, while the count was at 3.3 million for women. Overall, 1.1 percent of the global population in extreme poverty was found in Ghana as of 2024.

Poverty ratio at $1.9 a day of Ghana jumped by 13.39% from 11.2 % in 2012 to 12.7 % in 2016. Since the 31.58% drop in 2005, poverty ratio at $1.9 a day sank by 45.73% in 2016. Poverty headcount ratio at $1.90 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

After the return to democracy, Ghana achieved significant economic growth and poverty reduction. However, in recent years, the rate of poverty reduction has slowed, becoming insignificant after 2012. The largest reduction in poverty, 2 percent per year, was reached from 1991–1998. Subsequently, the rate of decline fell to 1.4 percent in 1998–2005, 1.1 percent in 2005–2012, and dropped to 0.2 percent per year between 2012 and 2016. The slowdown in poverty reduction was not due to a reduction in GDP per capita growth, which peaked between 2005 and 2012 and remained high between 2012 and 2016. Rather, it was due to a drop in the rate to which economic growth translated into poverty reduction. The growth elasticity of poverty (percentage reduction in poverty associated for every one percentage change in GDP per capita) was 1.2 between 1991 and 1998 but declined to less than 0.1 between 2012 and 2016, indicating a 1 percent increase in GDP per capita led to less than 0.1 percent reduction in poverty.

This report consists of four chapters. Chapter one profiles the trends in household consumption and poverty rates, and in the characteristics of the poor observed between 1991 and 2012. Descriptive statistics of consumption and selected poverty indexes are presented and a profile of the characteristics of the poor is given. The chapter concludes with an analysis of vulnerability. Chapter two uses descriptive and econometric techniques to identify the drivers of Ghana’s success over the last two decades. Chapter three examines the main challenges Ghana continues to face: widening inequalities, a persistent spatial divide, and the deteriorating macroeconomic environment. Chapter four provides a roadmap for policy action to effectively address these challenges and consolidate Ghana’s success as a middle-income economy.

Ghana GH: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data was reported at 24.200 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 31.900 % for 2005. Ghana GH: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data is updated yearly, averaging 28.050 % from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2012, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 31.900 % in 2005 and a record low of 24.200 % in 2012. Ghana GH: Poverty Headcount Ratio at National Poverty Lines: % of Population data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ghana – Table GH.World Bank: Poverty. National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty lines. National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Ghana GH: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Urban: % data was reported at 2.500 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.700 % for 2005. Ghana GH: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Urban: % data is updated yearly, averaging 3.100 % from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2012, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 3.700 % in 2005 and a record low of 2.500 % in 2012. Ghana GH: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Urban: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ghana – Table GH.World Bank: Poverty. Urban poverty gap at national poverty lines is the urban population's mean shortfall from the poverty lines (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall) as a percentage of the poverty lines. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

29.3 (%) in 2016. Poverty headcount ratio at $3.20 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $3.20 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

This dataset for Ghana combines preprocessed data from two data sources to create a rich source of information that can be used to develop a detailed understanding of poverty in the country.

Content

Demographic & Health Surveys Preprocessed Data

The dataset contains preprocessed data from the DHS for Ghana. There are five main data files:

1. Household data
2. Household Member data
3. Births data
4. Cluster information
5. Geographic information (shapefile)

The first three files contain all the features required for a complete calculation of the Multidimensional Poverty Index. The household member and births data both contain reference IDs that can be used to join them to a particular household in the household datafile. The cluster file contains information required to link each household to a particular cluster, which in turn can be associated with geographic location information.

For detailed descriptions of the features available, refer to the DHS Recode Manual.

For details on how the preprocessed data was obtained, refer to Part III of my submission for the Kiva Challenge https://www.kaggle.com/taniaj/kiva-crowdfunding-targeting-poverty-sub-nat .

Financial Inclusion Insights Survey Preprocessed Data

The dataset also contains preprocessed data from the FII Survey for Ghana. It contains features relevant for developing a financial deprivation indicator, such as whether the respondent has a formal bank account, whether they have formal savings and whether they have access to formal borrowing services.

For detailed descriptions of the features available, refer to the documentation.

For details on how the preprocessed data was obtained, refer to Part IV of my submission for the Kiva Challenge https://www.kaggle.com/taniaj/kiva-crowdfunding-adding-a-financial-dimension .

Other data

In addition to the main datafiles, there are a number of "_sjoin" files, which are intermediate steps in my kernel, where a spatial join was run locally and saved to be read back in due partly to sjoin not working on Kaggle servers, partly to save time.

Terms of Use

Please refer to the following pages for the terms of use:

1. DHS Program Terms of Use
2. Intermedia Terms of Use

Acknowledgements

The original data was provided by:

1. The Demographic & Health Surveys Program, USAID
2. The Financial Inclusion Insights Program, Intermedia

Inspiration

This dataset was added for use in the Data Science for Good: Kiva Crowdfunding challenge

As of 2025, ** percent of the population in Ghana was estimaed to live in extreme poverty, with the poverty threshold at 2.15 U.S. dollars a day. The share was equivalent to over *** million people. In 2030, the extreme poverty rate is projected to further decrease to ** percent.

Ghana GH: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % data was reported at 13.100 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.400 % for 2005. Ghana GH: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % data is updated yearly, averaging 14.250 % from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2012, with 2 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.400 % in 2005 and a record low of 13.100 % in 2012. Ghana GH: Poverty Gap at National Poverty Lines: Rural: % data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ghana – Table GH.World Bank: Poverty. Rural poverty gap at national poverty lines is the rural population's mean shortfall from the poverty lines (counting the nonpoor as having zero shortfall) as a percentage of the poverty lines. This measure reflects the depth of poverty as well as its incidence.; ; World Bank, Global Poverty Working Group. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines.; ; This series only includes estimates that to the best of our knowledge are reasonably comparable over time for a country. Due to differences in estimation methodologies and poverty lines, estimates should not be compared across countries.

Ghana is an example of a developing economy where both output and employment have shifted from agriculture to services and where structural change has not followed the standard pattern observed for many industrialised countries. However, there appears to be a limited understanding of what this changing structure means for poverty reduction and welfare for Ghana, with previous studies focusing mainly on the growth effect of structural change. This article interrogates the welfare effects of cross-sector labour movements in Ghana using the first two waves of the Ghana Socio-economic Panel Surveys. Our results show that labour movements from agriculture to services improve welfare while a move from services to agriculture decreases welfare. We also find that women and younger people are more likely to undertake the welfare-enhancing move, from agriculture to services, than men and older people respectively. On the other hand, we find that men, older people and individuals with relatively high-risk profile are more likely to move from services to agriculture. These findings support the view that structural change in Ghana have played a significant role in Ghana’s poverty reduction achievements in the last three decades.

3.7 (million persons) in 2016. Number of people, in millions, living on less than $1.90 a day at 2011 PPP is calculated by multiplying the poverty rate and the population. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.