External health expenditure (EXT) as percentage of current health in Ghana
Ghana: External health expenditure (EXT) as percentage of current health was 8.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
External health expenditure (EXT) as percentage of current health in Ghana, 2000–2023
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external health expenditure (ext) as percentage of current health in Ghana is 8.5%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 46.0% on the previous year and down 48.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external health expenditure (ext) as percentage of current health in Ghana peaked at 24.9% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2000.
Ghana ranks 66th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
External health expenditure (EXT) as percentage of current health in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.5% | — |
| 2001 | 7.6% | +199.1% |
| 2002 | 21.4% | +181.4% |
| 2003 | 15.4% | -27.8% |
| 2004 | 23.2% | +50.2% |
| 2005 | 19.7% | -14.9% |
| 2006 | 17.1% | -13.5% |
| 2007 | 13.6% | -20.3% |
| 2008 | 12.1% | -10.8% |
| 2009 | 13.7% | +12.6% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | -1.1% |
| 2011 | 12.0% | -11.1% |
| 2012 | 8.6% | -28.2% |
| 2013 | 16.6% | +92.2% |
| 2014 | 15.7% | -5.3% |
| 2015 | 24.9% | +58.9% |
| 2016 | 12.8% | -48.7% |
| 2017 | 14.7% | +14.5% |
| 2018 | 7.9% | -46.4% |
| 2019 | 8.7% | +10.7% |
| 2020 | 18.0% | +106.3% |
| 2021 | 14.8% | -17.6% |
| 2022 | 15.8% | +6.9% |
| 2023 | 8.5% | -46.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 8.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.9%, 72% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 8.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.5%, 42% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where External health expenditure (EXT) as percentage of current health in Ghana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +199.1% | 2.5% | 7.6% |
| 2002 | +181.4% | 7.6% | 21.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.6% | 2.5% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.5% | 7.9% | 24.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.3% | 8.5% | 18.0% | 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 external health expenditure (ext) as percentage of current health in Ghana?
- External health expenditure (ext) as percentage of current health in Ghana was 8.5% in 2023, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest external health expenditure (ext) as percentage of current health recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 24.9% in 2015.
- What is the lowest external health expenditure (ext) as percentage of current health recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2000.
- How does Ghana rank for external health expenditure (ext) as percentage of current health?
- Ghana ranks 66th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is external health expenditure (ext) as percentage of current health rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of External health expenditure (EXT) as percentage of current health expenditure (CHE) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).