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Poorest districts in Ghana according to GSS

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Ghana Statistical Service
Man walking towards thatch houses in a village in northern Ghana

– The (GSS) has recently published data revealing that more than half of the household population in 50 out of the 261 districts in Ghana (19.2%) are living in multidimensional poverty.

Among these districts, the Nkwanta North District in the Region stands out with the highest poverty rate in the country, at a staggering 79.7%. This rate is more than twice the national average of 29.9%. Joining Nkwanta North are Gonja in (77.7%) and Sekyere Afram Plains in Ashanti (75.3%) as the only districts where over three-quarters of the households are living in poverty.

Of the top 10 districts with the highest poverty rates, three are located in the , while the and regions each have two districts included in the list. Notably, the Nanumba North municipality (114,226) and Gusheigu municipality (103,852) in the are the only districts with more than 100,000 individuals residing in multidimensionally poor households.

Multidimensional poverty is measured by assessing deprivation across various domains, including living conditions (such as access to electricity, housing, assets, overcrowding, cooking fuel, water, and toilet facilities), education (school attendance, attainment, and lag), and health (insurance coverage and mortality).

Regarding the districts with the largest population living in poverty, four are located in the Northern Region, two in the Oti Region, and one each in , North East, Western, and Volta. Conversely, the Municipal in the has the lowest poverty rate in the country, standing at 4.8%. Additionally, it is one of the 21 districts where the multidimensional poverty rate is below 10%.

It is worth noting that six out of the 10 districts with the lowest poverty rates are situated in Greater .

These statistics, which highlight the extent of multidimensional poverty in various districts, were released by the as part of the observance of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. This year's theme is “Dignity for All in Practice.”

Multidimensional Poverty in Ghana

The table below presents data on the multidimensional poverty of the household population in Ghana;

RankRegionDistrictPercent of persons
living in multidimensionally
poor households
Number of persons
living in multidimensionally
poor households
1OtiNkwanta North80%99,825
2SavannahNorth East Gonja77.40%30,482
3AshantiSekyere Afram Plains75.30%24,553
4OtiKrachi NChumuru73.30%56,372
5NorthernWon72.40%68,663
6North EastChereponi70.20%60,691
7NorthernKpandai71.80%89,986
8NorthernTatale Sanguli69.90%51,846
9North EastMamprugu Moagduri72.20%49,372
10Sene East69.50%49,756
11SavannahNorth Gonja71.60%43,686
12SavannahCentral Gonja68.40%97,293
13North EastYunyoo Nasuan68.60%39,019
14 West66.30%63,846
15NorthernNanumba South66.70%70,555
16NorthernTolon67.80%78,453
17SavannahSawla Tuna Kalba66.00%73,595
18NorthernGushegu Municipal67.70%103,852
19Eastern Afram Plains North64.60%42,449
20Oti Municipal63.40%85,079
Multidimensional Poverty in Ghana

Multidimensional Poverty Map of Ghana

Multidimensional Poverty Map of Ghana
Multidimensional Poverty Map of Ghana

Top and bottom 5 most multidimensionally poor districts in Ghana

Here is the region, district, and percentage of multidimensionally poor households in the top 5 poorest and top 5 richest districts in Ghana;

RankRegionDistrictPercent of persons
living in multidimensionally
poor households
1OtiNkwanta North79.70%
2SavannahNorth East Gonja77.40%
3AshantiSekyere Afram Plains75.30%
4OtiKrachi Nchumuru73.30%
5NorthernMion72.40%
Ghana29.9%
257Greater AccraGa East Municipal7.40%
258Greater AccraAyawaso West Municipal7.30%
259Greater AccraTerna West Municipal7.10%
260AshantiAsokwa Municipal5.20%
261EasternNew Juaben South Municipal4.80%
Top and bottom 5 most dimensionally poor districts in Ghana

Top 10 poorest districts in Ghana by population

The following table gives you a ranking of the top 10 districts in Ghana with the highest population of multidimensionally poor people;

RankRegionDistrictNumber of persons
living in multidimensionally
poor households
1NorthernNanumba North Municipal114,226
2NorthernGushegu Municipal103,852
3OtiNkwanta North99,825
4Northern Metropolitan Area97,591
5SavannahCentral Gonja97,293
6North EastEast Mamprusi Municipal94,237
7NorthernKpandai89,986
8WesternPrestea/Huni Valley Municipal88,009
9Oti Municipal85,079
10VoltaKetu South Municipal81,129
Top 10 poorest districts in Ghana by population

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