Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ghana
Ghana: Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income was 20.6% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income 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 %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ghana is 20.6%, measured in 2016. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ghana peaked at 20.6% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 13.4%, in 1991.
Ghana ranks 9th of 123 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 14.1% | — |
| 1988 | 13.7% | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 13.4% | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 16.2% | +20.9% |
| 2005 | 18.0% | +11.1% |
| 2012 | 18.1% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 20.6% | +13.8% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 20.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.8%, 1.9× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 20.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 11.1%, 1.9× the median. (26 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.9% | 13.7% | 14.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 14.8% | 13.4% | 16.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 18.0% | 18.0% | 18.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 19.4% | 18.1% | 20.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 6 Kosovo 21.1% compare
- 6 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 21.1% compare
- 8 Israel 21.0% compare
- 10 Botswana 20.4% compare
- 10 South Africa 20.4% compare
- 12 Costa Rica 20.0% compare
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 proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ghana?
- Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income in Ghana was 20.6% 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 proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 20.6% in 2016.
- What is the lowest proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.4% in 1991.
- How does Ghana rank for proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income?
- Ghana ranks 9th out of 123 countries with data for 2016.
- Is proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.4%. 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 Proportion of people living below 50 percent of median income (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The percentage of people in the population who live in households whose per capita income or consumption is below half of the median income or consumption per capita. The median is measured at 2021 Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) using the Poverty and Inequality Platform (http://www.pip.worldbank.org). For some countries, medians are not reported due to grouped and/or confidential data. The reference year is the year in which the underlying household survey data was collected. In cases for which the data collection period bridged two calendar years, the first year in which data were collected is reported.