Ghana vs Upper middle income: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line

Ghana
41.2%
in 2016
Upper middle income
20.9%
in 2024
Ghana rank
12th
Upper middle income rank
9th

Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line over time

  • Ghana
  • Upper middle income
20406080198420042024

How they compare

Ghana currently reports 41.2% against 20.9% in Upper middle income, a difference of 20.3%.

That makes Ghana's figure about 2.0 times Upper middle income's.

Across all 7 years both countries report, Ghana has been ahead every year.

Ghana ranks 12th and Upper middle income ranks 9th of 123 countries.

Ghana has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ghana Upper middle income Difference Ahead
1980s 77.8% 61.2% 16.6% Ghana
1990s 72.8% 56.4% 16.5% Ghana
2000s 60.9% 35.3% 25.6% Ghana
2010s 42.1% 27.2% 14.9% Ghana

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line, Ghana or Upper middle income?
Ghana, at 41.2% against 20.9% in Upper middle income as of 2016.
What is the difference in poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line between Ghana and Upper middle income?
20.3%, with Ghana ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ghana and Upper middle income?
7 years are reported by both, from 1987 to 2016.
How do Ghana and Upper middle income rank globally for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
Ghana ranks 12th and Upper middle income ranks 9th of 123 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ, published as Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ghana vs Upper middle income: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line. Statizoid, drawing on World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/compare/poverty-headcount-ratio-at-societal-poverty-line-percent-of-population/ghana/upper-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population)
Unit
% of population
Source
World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are based on primary household survey data obtained from government statistical agencies and World Bank country departments. Data for high-income econ
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
137 places, 2,860 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

The poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line is the percentage of a population living in poverty according to the World Bank's Societal Poverty Line. The Societal Poverty Line is expressed in purchasing power adjusted 2021 U.S. dollars and defined as max($3.00, $1.30 + 0.5*Median). This means that when the national median is sufficiently low, the Societal Poverty line is equivalent to the extreme poverty line, $3.00. For countries with a sufficiently high national median, the Societal Poverty Line grows as countries’ median income grows.