The World Bank has raised fresh concerns about the impact of Ghana’s economic growth on living standards, revealing that 56.4 percent of Ghanaians remain in poverty.
The World Bank says although the Ghanaian economy has recorded recent growth, the gains have not yet translated into broad-based improvements in the lives of a significant proportion of the population.
Speaking at the launch of the World Bank Group’s 10th Ghana Economic Update, the World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Dr. Robert Taliercio O’Brien, said there remains a significant gap between Ghana’s headline economic performance and the reality faced by many households.
He pointed to widening spatial disparities, warning that economic progress is not being experienced equally across the country.
According to him, the situation highlights a disconnect between the growth figures reported at the macroeconomic level and the living conditions of ordinary Ghanaians.
Dr. Taliercio O’Brien said while the economy may be expanding, a large section of the population continues to struggle with poverty, indicating that economic growth alone may not be sufficient to improve livelihoods.
He also identified the structure of Ghana’s economic growth as another major concern.
He explained that much of the growth is being driven by sectors that have limited capacity to create enough jobs for the growing population.
This, he said, is particularly worrying given Ghana’s youthful population and the increasing number of young people expected to enter the labour market in the coming years.
The World Bank official cautioned that without a shift towards more job-intensive sectors, the economy could struggle to provide sufficient employment opportunities for the growing workforce.
He described the situation as a structural imbalance requiring urgent attention, stressing the need for economic policies that can link growth more directly to job creation and improved living standards.
The latest assessment therefore puts renewed focus on the quality and inclusiveness of Ghana’s economic growth, with questions over whether improvements in key economic indicators are translating into meaningful gains for households.
The World Bank is urging greater attention to sectors with the potential to absorb more workers and provide sustainable livelihoods, particularly as Ghana prepares to accommodate a rapidly growing working-age population.
The findings also highlight the need for policies that address regional and spatial inequalities, ensuring that economic opportunities are not concentrated in only a few parts of the country.
For many Ghanaians, the challenge remains turning economic growth into tangible improvements in household incomes, employment opportunities and general living conditions.
The World Bank says closing that gap will be critical if Ghana is to achieve more inclusive and sustainable development.
