Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Ghana
Ghana: Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care was 25.6% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Ghana, 2003–2022
Source: Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School. Measured in % of people at risk.
Analysis
In 2022, risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Ghana stood at 25.6%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.3% on the previous year and down 36.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Ghana peaked at 70.0% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 22.6%, in 2021.
That places Ghana 58th out of 134 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 19 years of available data.
Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of people at risk | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 70.0% | — |
| 2004 | 68.3% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 66.0% | -3.4% |
| 2006 | 59.2% | -10.3% |
| 2007 | 53.8% | -9.1% |
| 2008 | 48.6% | -9.7% |
| 2009 | 43.2% | -11.1% |
| 2010 | 42.4% | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 34.9% | -17.7% |
| 2012 | 40.2% | +15.2% |
| 2013 | 26.5% | -34.1% |
| 2014 | 30.1% | +13.6% |
| 2016 | 39.6% | +31.6% |
| 2017 | 38.3% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 37.5% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 33.5% | -10.7% |
| 2020 | 24.3% | -27.5% |
| 2021 | 22.6% | -7.0% |
| 2022 | 25.6% | +13.3% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 25.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 49.4%, 52% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 25.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.3%, 36% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 58.4% | 43.2% | 70.0% | 7 |
| 2010s | 35.9% | 26.5% | 42.4% | 9 |
| 2020s | 24.2% | 22.6% | 25.6% | 3 |
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 risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Ghana?
- Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care in Ghana was 25.6% in 2022, according to Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School.
- What is the highest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 70.0% in 2003.
- What is the lowest risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.6% in 2021.
- How does Ghana rank for risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care?
- Ghana ranks 58th out of 134 countries with data for 2022.
- Is risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC), Harvard Medical School, published as part of Risk of impoverishing expenditure for surgical care (% of people at risk). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The proportion of population at risk of impoverishing expenditure when surgical care is required. Impoverishing expenditure is defined as direct out of pocket payments for surgical and anaesthesia care which drive people below a poverty threshold (using a threshold of $2.15 PPP/day).