Births attended by skilled health staff in Ghana
Ghana: Births attended by skilled health staff was 78.9% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Births attended by skilled health staff in Ghana, 1988–2018
Source: State of the World's Children, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in % of total.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 78.9% for births attended by skilled health staff in 2018. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 44.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, births attended by skilled health staff in Ghana peaked at 78.9% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 40.1%, in 1988.
That places Ghana 138th out of 169 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Births attended by skilled health staff in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of total | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 40.1% | — |
| 1993 | 43.8% | +9.2% |
| 1994 | 43.8% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 44.3% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 44.3% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 47.1% | +6.3% |
| 2006 | 49.7% | +5.5% |
| 2007 | 55.2% | +11.1% |
| 2008 | 54.7% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 67.2% | +22.9% |
| 2014 | 70.8% | +5.4% |
| 2017 | 78.1% | +10.3% |
| 2018 | 78.9% | +1.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 78.9% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 84.0%, 94% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 78.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 78.1%, 1.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 40.1% | 40.1% | 40.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 44.0% | 43.8% | 44.3% | 4 |
| 2000s | 51.7% | 47.1% | 55.2% | 4 |
| 2010s | 73.8% | 67.2% | 78.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More health data for Ghana
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6224 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 986.1 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,361 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5623 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.06 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5816 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is births attended by skilled health staff in Ghana?
- Births attended by skilled health staff in Ghana was 78.9% in 2018, according to State of the World's Children, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest births attended by skilled health staff recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 78.9% in 2018.
- What is the lowest births attended by skilled health staff recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.1% in 1988.
- How does Ghana rank for births attended by skilled health staff?
- Ghana ranks 138th out of 169 countries with data for 2018.
- Is births attended by skilled health staff rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from State of the World's Children, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Births attended by skilled health staff (% of total). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Births attended by skilled health staff are the percentage of deliveries attended by personnel trained to give the necessary supervision, care, and advice to women during pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period; to conduct deliveries on their own; and to care for newborns.