Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Ghana
Ghana: Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines was 23.4% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Ghana, 1991–2016
Source: World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
The most recent figure for poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Ghana is 23.4%, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Ghana peaked at 51.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 23.4%, in 2016.
Ghana ranks 17th of 70 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 51.7% | — |
| 1998 | 39.5% | -23.6% |
| 2005 | 31.9% | -19.2% |
| 2012 | 24.2% | -24.1% |
| 2016 | 23.4% | -3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 45.6% | 39.5% | 51.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 31.9% | 31.9% | 31.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 23.8% | 23.4% | 24.2% | 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 poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Ghana?
- Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines in Ghana was 23.4% in 2016, according to World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W.
- What is the highest poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 51.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.4% in 2016.
- How does Ghana rank for poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines?
- Ghana ranks 17th out of 70 countries with data for 2016.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, Poverty and Inequality Platform. Data are compiled from official government sources or are computed by World Bank staff using national (i.e. country–specific) poverty lines., World Bank (W, published as part of Poverty headcount ratio at national poverty lines (% of population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
National poverty headcount ratio is the percentage of the population living below the national poverty line(s). National estimates are based on population-weighted subgroup estimates from household surveys. For economies for which the data are from EU-SILC, the reported year is the income reference year, which is the year before the survey year.