External health expenditure in Ghana
Ghana: External health expenditure was 8.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
External health expenditure in Ghana, 2000–2023
Source: Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in % of current health expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for external health expenditure in Ghana is 8.5%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 46.0% on the previous year and down 48.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, external health expenditure in Ghana peaked at 24.9% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2000.
That places Ghana 65th out of 177 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
External health expenditure in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | 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 11.8%, 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 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 in Ghana?
- External health expenditure in Ghana was 8.5% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest external health expenditure recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 24.9% in 2015.
- What is the lowest external health expenditure recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2000.
- How does Ghana rank for external health expenditure?
- Ghana ranks 65th out of 177 countries with data for 2023.
- Is external health expenditure 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 Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of External health expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Share of current health expenditures funded from external sources. External sources compose of direct foreign transfers and foreign transfers distributed by government encompassing all financial inflows into the national health system from outside the country. External sources either flow through the government scheme or are channeled through non-governmental organizations or other schemes.