Out-of-pocket expenditure in Ghana
Ghana: Out-of-pocket expenditure was 26.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Out-of-pocket 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
Ghana recorded 26.7% for out-of-pocket expenditure in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.6% on the previous year and down 31.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-pocket expenditure in Ghana peaked at 45.1% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 22.7%, in 2017.
Ghana ranks 105th of 193 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.
Out-of-pocket expenditure in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of current health expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 38.0% | — |
| 2001 | 33.6% | -11.7% |
| 2002 | 32.0% | -4.8% |
| 2003 | 36.0% | +12.6% |
| 2004 | 32.4% | -9.9% |
| 2005 | 23.5% | -27.5% |
| 2006 | 35.2% | +49.6% |
| 2007 | 39.6% | +12.4% |
| 2008 | 41.1% | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 34.9% | -15.0% |
| 2010 | 34.3% | -1.8% |
| 2011 | 33.0% | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 36.9% | +11.8% |
| 2013 | 38.9% | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 45.1% | +15.9% |
| 2015 | 35.8% | -20.5% |
| 2016 | 37.8% | +5.6% |
| 2017 | 22.7% | -40.1% |
| 2018 | 33.5% | +47.8% |
| 2019 | 29.0% | -13.5% |
| 2020 | 23.8% | -18.0% |
| 2021 | 26.5% | +11.6% |
| 2022 | 25.0% | -5.5% |
| 2023 | 26.7% | +6.6% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 26.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 37.6%, 71% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 26.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 32.4%, 82% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 34.6% | 23.5% | 41.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.7% | 22.7% | 45.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.5% | 23.8% | 26.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 102 South Sudan 27.1% compare
- 103 Peru 27.0% compare
- 104 Belize 26.8% compare
- 106 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 26.6% compare
- 107 Montenegro 26.3% compare
- 108 Guyana 26.3% compare
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 out-of-pocket expenditure in Ghana?
- Out-of-pocket expenditure in Ghana was 26.7% in 2023, according to Global Health Expenditure Database, updated December 12th, 2025, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 45.1% in 2014.
- What is the lowest out-of-pocket expenditure recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.7% in 2017.
- How does Ghana rank for out-of-pocket expenditure?
- Ghana ranks 105th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-pocket expenditure rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.4%. 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 Out-of-pocket expenditure (% of current health expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Share of out-of-pocket payments of total current health expenditures. Out-of-pocket payments are spending on health directly out-of-pocket by households.