Proportion of population below international poverty line in Ghana
Ghana: Proportion of population below international poverty line was 39.0% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Ghana, 1987–2016
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 39.0% for proportion of population below international poverty line in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of down 36.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of population below international poverty line in Ghana peaked at 80.4% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 39.0%, in 2016.
That places Ghana 12th out of 110 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
Proportion of population below international poverty line in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | 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 | 41.8% | -31.4% |
| 2016 | 39.0% | -6.7% |
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 | 40.4% | 39.0% | 41.8% | 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 proportion of population below international poverty line in Ghana?
- Proportion of population below international poverty line in Ghana was 39.0% in 2016, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 80.4% in 1991.
- What is the lowest proportion of population below international poverty line recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.0% in 2016.
- How does Ghana rank for proportion of population below international poverty line?
- Ghana ranks 12th out of 110 countries with data for 2016.
- Is proportion of population below international poverty line rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of population below international poverty line (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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