Africa News of Thursday, 22 January 2026

Source: aljazeera.com

Ghana's multidimensional poverty rate declines for third consecutive quarter

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS)

Ghana’s Statistical Service on Wednesday announced that the country’s multidimensional poverty rate has declined for a third consecutive quarter.

The index measures deprivation across health, education, living conditions like access to clean water and sanitation, and employment.

Data released shows it fell from 23.9% in the first quarter of 2025 to 21.9% in Q3 – confirming a steady improvement nationwide.

This means that nearly one million of Ghana’s 35 million citizens moved out of poverty within a year.

Economic hardship is highest among households headed by people with no formal education, while vulnerable groups continue to bear a disproportionate burden.

The government statistician attributed the reduction to an improvement in overall living conditions but warned that the underlying drivers of poverty remain largely unchanged.