Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day in Ghana

Ghana: Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day was 6.8% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
6.8%
World rank
6th
of 120 countries
All-time high
19.8%
in 1991
All-time low
4.9%
in 2012
Years of data
7
1987–2016

Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day in Ghana, 1987–2016

51015201987200120161987: 16.2 %1988: 15.5 %1991: 19.8 %1998: 13.5 %2005: 11.5 %2012: 4.9 %2016: 6.8 %

Source: World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2016, poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Ghana stood at 6.8%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 40.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Ghana peaked at 19.8% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 4.9%, in 2012.

Ghana ranks 6th of 120 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 15.9% 15.5% 16.2% 2
1990s 16.6% 13.5% 19.8% 2
2000s 11.5% 11.5% 11.5% 1
2010s 5.9% 4.9% 6.8% 2

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 3 Malawi 12.6% compare
  2. 4 Burundi 11.4% compare
  3. 5 Madagascar 7.9% compare
  4. 7 Uganda 6.6% compare
  5. 8 Venezuela 3.1% compare
  6. 9 Honduras 2.6% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Ghana?
Poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day in Ghana was 6.8% in 2016, according to World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 19.8% in 1991.
What is the lowest poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 4.9% in 2012.
How does Ghana rank for poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day?
Ghana ranks 6th out of 120 countries with data for 2016.
Is poverty: share of population living on less than $1 a day rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.8%. 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 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator
Poverty: Share of population living on less than $1 a day
Unit
%
Source
World Bank Poverty and Inequality Platform (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,148 data points, 1963–2025
Last refreshed

Percentage of population living in households with an income or consumption below $1 per day.