People without basic handwashing facilities in Ghana
Ghana: People without basic handwashing facilities was 18.77 million people in 2024. ▲ Rising
People without basic handwashing facilities in Ghana, 2011–2024
Source: WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2024, people without basic handwashing facilities in Ghana stood at 18.77 million people. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, people without basic handwashing facilities in Ghana peaked at 18.77 million people in 2024 and was at its lowest, 15.70 million people, in 2011.
Ghana ranks 21st of 120 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
People without basic handwashing facilities in Ghana, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 15.70 million people | — |
| 2012 | 16.07 million people | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 16.45 million people | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 16.83 million people | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 17.21 million people | +2.3% |
| 2016 | 17.46 million people | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 17.68 million people | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 17.88 million people | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 18.06 million people | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 18.23 million people | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 18.39 million people | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 18.53 million people | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 18.66 million people | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 18.77 million people | +0.6% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 18.77 million people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.83 million people, 2.7× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 18.77 million people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13.17 million people, 1.4× the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 17.04 million people | 15.70 million people | 18.06 million people | 9 |
| 2020s | 18.51 million people | 18.23 million people | 18.77 million people | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More reference data data for Ghana
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2805 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1989 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9405 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9478 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.08 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is people without basic handwashing facilities in Ghana?
- People without basic handwashing facilities in Ghana was 18.77 million people in 2024, according to WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest people without basic handwashing facilities recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 18.77 million people in 2024.
- What is the lowest people without basic handwashing facilities recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.70 million people in 2011.
- How does Ghana rank for people without basic handwashing facilities?
- Ghana ranks 21st out of 120 countries with data for 2024.
- Is people without basic handwashing facilities rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (2025) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of People without basic handwashing facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
People without access to a handwashing facility with soap and water available at home.