Ashanti, Eastern regions record highest poverty numbers
23rd January 2026
Latest data show that more than one million people in each of the two populous regions are classified as multidimensionally poor, underscoring how population size is increasingly shaping the national poverty burden even as overall indicators suggest gradual improvement.
Traditionally, national poverty discussions have focused on incidence rates, where regions such as North East and Savannah continue to dominate, each recording poverty levels above 50 percent.
While those regions still face the deepest intensity of deprivation, the latest figures reveal that the sheer population weight of Ashanti and Eastern regions now translates into the highest absolute numbers of poor people nationwide.
This marks a significant evolution in the poverty map, shifting policy attention from where poverty is most concentrated to where the largest numbers of citizens are affected.
The data further highlight a persistent rural-urban divide.
As of the third quarter of 2025, multidimensional poverty in rural Ghana stood at 31.9 percent—more than double the 14.2 percent recorded in urban areas.
This gap reflects enduring inequalities in access to basic services, infrastructure, healthcare, and stable livelihoods, particularly for households dependent on subsistence agriculture and informal economic activities.
In contrast, Greater Accra and the Western Region recorded the lowest poverty incidence, both remaining below 20 percent.
These relatively better outcomes are often attributed to stronger urban economies, higher concentration of services, and greater employment opportunities.
However, the stark disparities between regions reinforce calls for geographically targeted interventions rather than one-size-fits-all national policies.
A closer look at the drivers of poverty shows that deprivation is largely structural. Living conditions and health-related factors dominate the multidimensional poverty profile.
Lack of health insurance coverage alone accounts for 26.5 percent of measured deprivation, followed by poor nutrition at 14.4 percent and employment challenges at 12.3 percent.
Other contributing factors include school attendance gaps, overcrowded housing, and limited access to improved toilet facilities—each reflecting systemic shortcomings in social protection and public service delivery.
The report also raises concern about emerging pressures that could reverse recent gains.
Between the second and third quarters of 2025, overcrowding deprivation nearly doubled, jumping from 11.4 percent to 21.6 percent, while school attendance deprivation rose from 7.0 percent to 9.4 percent.
Employment-related deprivation also edged up, signalling growing vulnerability in labour market outcomes, particularly for low-income households.
Taken together, the findings suggest that the poverty challenge is no longer defined solely by where poverty is most intense, but increasingly by where the largest numbers of people are affected.