Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Ghana
Ghana: Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line was 41.2% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line 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. Measured in % of population.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 41.2% for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 32.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Ghana peaked at 80.4% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 41.2%, in 2016.
Ghana ranks 12th of 123 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of population | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 78.2% | — |
| 1988 | 77.4% | -1.0% |
| 1991 | 80.4% | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 65.3% | -18.8% |
| 2005 | 60.9% | -6.7% |
| 2012 | 43.0% | -29.4% |
| 2016 | 41.2% | -4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 77.8% | 77.4% | 78.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 72.8% | 65.3% | 80.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 60.9% | 60.9% | 60.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 42.1% | 41.2% | 43.0% | 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 societal poverty line in Ghana?
- Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line in Ghana was 41.2% 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 poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 80.4% in 1991.
- What is the lowest poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.2% in 2016.
- How does Ghana rank for poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line?
- Ghana ranks 12th out of 123 countries with data for 2016.
- Is poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.3%. 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 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 Poverty headcount ratio at societal poverty line (% of population). 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
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.