Gini index in Ghana
Ghana: Gini index was 43.5 in 2016. ▲ Rising
Gini index in Ghana, 1987–2016
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.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 43.5 for gini index in 2016. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gini index in Ghana peaked at 43.5 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 35.3, in 1987.
Ghana ranks 16th of 123 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Gini index in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 35.3 | — |
| 1988 | 36 | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 38.4 | +6.7% |
| 1998 | 40.1 | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 42.8 | +6.7% |
| 2012 | 42.4 | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 43.5 | +2.6% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 43.5 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 35.3, 1.2× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 43.5 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 37.7, 1.2× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35.65 | 35.3 | 36 | 2 |
| 1990s | 39.25 | 38.4 | 40.1 | 2 |
| 2000s | 42.8 | 42.8 | 42.8 | 1 |
| 2010s | 42.95 | 42.4 | 43.5 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More poverty & inequality data for Ghana
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 3.4 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 2,688 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate 10.43 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 13.54 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 13.5% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gini index in Ghana?
- Gini index in Ghana was 43.5 in 2016, according to 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.
- What is the highest gini index recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 43.5 in 2016.
- What is the lowest gini index recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.3 in 1987.
- How does Ghana rank for gini index?
- Ghana ranks 16th out of 123 countries with data for 2016.
- Is gini index rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Gini index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Gini index measures the extent to which the distribution of income (or, in some cases, consumption expenditure) among individuals or households within an economy deviates from a perfectly equal distribution. A Lorenz curve plots the cumulative percentages of total income received against the cumulative number of recipients, starting with the poorest individual or household. The Gini index measures the area between the Lorenz curve and a hypothetical line of absolute equality, expressed as a percentage of the maximum area under the line. Thus a Gini index of 0 represents perfect equality, while an index of 100 implies perfect inequality.