Share of population in extreme poverty in Ghana

Ghana: Share of population in extreme poverty was 39.03 in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
39.03
World rank
13th
of 120 countries
All-time high
80.36
in 1991
All-time low
39.03
in 2016
Years of data
7
1987–2016

Share of population in extreme poverty in Ghana, 1987–2016

0204060801987200120161987: 78.21988: 77.41991: 80.41998: 65.32005: 60.92012: 41.82016: 39

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Ghana recorded 39.03 for share of population in extreme poverty in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

That represents a change of down 35.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population in extreme poverty in Ghana peaked at 80.36 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 39.03, in 2016.

That places Ghana 13th out of 120 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.

Share of population in extreme poverty in Ghana, year by year

Annual values for Share of population in extreme poverty in Ghana, 1987 to 2016.
Year Value Change
1987 78.22
1988 77.44 -1.0%
1991 80.36 +3.8%
1998 65.35 -18.7%
2005 60.89 -6.8%
2012 41.77 -31.4%
2016 39.03 -6.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 77.83 77.44 78.22 2
1990s 72.86 65.35 80.36 2
2000s 60.89 60.89 60.89 1
2010s 40.4 39.03 41.77 2

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 10 Burkina Faso 42.06 compare
  2. 11 Nigeria 41.82 compare
  3. 12 Guinea-Bissau 39.86 compare
  4. 14 Ethiopia 38.64 compare
  5. 15 Rwanda 38.55 compare
  6. 16 Mali 36.1 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More poverty & inequality data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population in extreme poverty in Ghana?
Share of population in extreme poverty in Ghana was 39.03 in 2016, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population in extreme poverty recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 80.36 in 1991.
What is the lowest share of population in extreme poverty recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 39.03 in 2016.
How does Ghana rank for share of population in extreme poverty?
Ghana ranks 13th out of 120 countries with data for 2016.
Is share of population in extreme poverty rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 35.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ghana data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population in extreme poverty in Ghana. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-in-extreme-poverty/ghana/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population in extreme poverty
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed