Share of single-parent households in Ghana

Ghana: Share of single-parent households was 13.4% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
13.4%
Change on year
down 10.3%
World rank
11th
of 70 countries
All-time high
19.4%
in 1993
All-time low
8.9%
in 2000
Years of data
12
1984–2019

Share of single-parent households in Ghana, 1984–2019

051015201984200120191984: 13.6 %1993: 19.4 %1999: 16.7 %2000: 8.9 %2003: 13.6 %2006: 11.8 %2008: 14.5 %2010: 12.9 %2011: 13.2 %2014: 13.9 %2017: 15 %2019: 13.4 %

Source: United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of single-parent households in Ghana is 13.4%, measured in 2019.

That represents a change of down 10.3% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of single-parent households in Ghana peaked at 19.4% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 8.9%, in 2000.

That places Ghana 11th out of 70 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Share of single-parent households in Ghana, year by year

Annual values for Share of single-parent households in Ghana, 1984 to 2019.
Year % Change
1984 13.6%
1993 19.4% +42.3%
1999 16.7% -13.7%
2000 8.9% -46.7%
2003 13.6% +52.4%
2006 11.8% -12.9%
2008 14.5% +22.5%
2010 12.9% -10.7%
2011 13.2% +1.6%
2014 13.9% +5.6%
2017 15.0% +7.9%
2019 13.4% -10.3%

Ghana compared with similar countries

  • Ghana's 13.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 9.3%, 1.4× the median. (27 countries reporting)
  • Ghana's 13.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 9.6%, 1.4× the median. (27 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 13.6% 13.6% 13.6% 1
1990s 18.0% 16.7% 19.4% 2
2000s 12.2% 8.9% 14.5% 4
2010s 13.7% 12.9% 15.0% 5

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 8 Belarus 14.1% compare
  2. 9 Democratic Republic of Congo 13.8% compare
  3. 10 Peru 13.7% compare
  4. 12 Argentina 13.4% compare
  5. 13 Trinidad and Tobago 13.3% compare
  6. 14 Honduras 13.1% compare

See the full ranking of 70 places →

More reference data data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of single-parent households in Ghana?
Share of single-parent households in Ghana was 13.4% in 2019, according to United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of single-parent households recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 19.4% in 1993.
What is the lowest share of single-parent households recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 8.9% in 2000.
How does Ghana rank for share of single-parent households?
Ghana ranks 11th out of 70 countries with data for 2019.
Is share of single-parent households rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ghana data come from?
The figures come from United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of single-parent households. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of single-parent households in Ghana. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-single-parent-households/ghana/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of single-parent households
Unit
%
Source
United Nations (2022) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
70 places, 523 data points, 1960–2021
Last refreshed

Percentage of households comprised of a single parent and his or her children (biological, step, and adopted/foster children), irrespective of children’s ages, and no one else.