The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has identified six districts in the North East Region as the poorest in the country, despite an overall decline in multidimensional poverty levels nationwide.
According to the latest district-level poverty estimates released by the GSS, the findings expose persistent regional disparities in living conditions, with poverty remaining heavily concentrated in northern Ghana.
Nassuam District recorded the highest poverty incidence in the country at 51.6 percent in 2025. Four other districts within the North East Region also ranked among Ghana’s most deprived areas, highlighting the depth of economic hardship in the region.
In contrast, Ayawaso North Municipal in the Greater Accra Region recorded the lowest poverty incidence at 5.5 percent, underscoring the stark gap between urban and rural districts.
The GSS said the estimates were produced using internationally recognised small area estimation techniques. The analysis combined data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census, household income and expenditure surveys conducted between 2022 and 2024, and the 2025 Labour Force Survey, covering 13 wellbeing indicators.
The Service described the study as the most comprehensive district-level poverty assessment ever undertaken in Ghana.
Despite the disparities, the report indicated notable national progress, with 250 out of Ghana’s 261 districts recording reductions in multidimensional poverty between 2021 and 2025.
Significant improvements were observed in parts of the Upper West and Ashanti regions, where several districts experienced sharp declines in poverty levels during the review period.
However, the report stressed that poverty remains widespread in the North East, Northern, Savannah, Oti, Upper East, Upper West and Bono East regions.
The GSS has called for sustained policy interventions, targeted social investments and stronger monitoring of development spending to promote inclusive growth and bridge the country’s regional inequality gap.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
