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Ghana's economy ranking: GDP & GDP per capita, debt

Updated on by Georank team

Ghana ranked 79/197 by economy size with a GDP of $82.8B and 150/197 by GDP per capita at $2,406. Ghana has $58.4B in government debt, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 66.4%.

In 2025, Ghana made up 0.07% of the world's economy, compared to 0.09% in 1960.

The chart below shows GDP in nominal terms, GDP adjusted for inflation (in constant dollars), and a bar chart of year-over-year inflation-adjusted growth.

GDP, current $
GDP, constant 2015 $
GDP growth
Year GDP GDP growth
Current $ Constant $
1960 $1,217,230,095 $7,662,648,270 -
1961 $1,302,674,325 $7,925,452,127 7.02%
1962 $1,382,515,654 $8,251,121,525 6.13%
1963 $1,540,797,589 $8,614,663,811 11.4%
1964 $1,731,296,200 $8,804,989,947 12.4%
1965 $2,053,462,968 $8,925,530,160 18.6%
1966 $2,126,300,672 $8,545,455,169 3.55%
1967 $1,747,187,645 $8,808,259,025 -17.8%
1968 $1,666,909,518 $8,840,749,198 -4.59%
1969 $1,962,050,556 $9,371,740,063 17.7%
1970 $2,215,028,588 $10,282,998,639 12.9%
1971 $2,417,108,578 $10,819,372,657 9.12%
1972 $2,112,293,280 $10,550,223,948 -12.6%
1973 $3,006,766,758 $10,854,554,041 42.3%
1974 $2,894,409,938 $11,598,364,184 -3.74%
1975 $2,810,106,383 $10,156,498,576 -2.91%
1976 $2,765,254,237 $9,797,955,609 -1.6%
1977 $3,189,428,571 $10,020,771,627 15.3%
1978 $3,662,478,185 $10,870,125,777 14.8%
1979 $4,020,227,920 $10,596,748,482 9.77%
1980 $4,445,228,216 $10,646,732,914 10.6%
1981 $4,222,441,860 $10,273,770,733 -5.01%
1982 $4,035,994,398 $9,562,450,763 -4.42%
1983 $4,057,275,132 $9,126,045,611 0.53%
1984 $4,412,279,843 $9,915,226,744 8.75%
1985 $4,504,306,723 $10,420,072,142 2.09%
1986 $5,735,677,434 $10,961,828,435 27.3%
1987 $5,074,829,932 $11,487,437,024 -11.5%
1988 $5,197,765,032 $12,133,969,367 2.42%
1989 $5,251,858,440 $12,751,087,602 1.04%
1990 $5,889,106,573 $13,175,548,086 12.1%
1991 $6,603,185,268 $13,871,457,663 12.1%
1992 $6,416,103,926 $14,409,589,639 -2.83%
1993 $5,968,922,939 $15,108,454,816 -6.97%
1994 $5,446,383,727 $15,607,033,786 -8.75%
1995 $6,464,382,808 $16,248,860,404 18.7%
1996 $6,932,991,739 $16,996,707,892 7.25%
1997 $6,891,443,192 $17,709,950,508 -0.6%
1998 $7,482,069,162 $18,542,387,390 8.57%
1999 $7,718,109,982 $19,358,251,847 3.15%
2000 $4,982,850,662 $20,074,507,181 -35.4%
2001 $5,314,872,854 $20,877,487,494 6.66%
2002 $6,166,197,848 $21,816,974,339 16%
2003 $7,632,723,556 $22,951,457,033 23.8%
2004 $8,881,417,907 $24,236,738,625 16.4%
2005 $10,744,568,381 $25,666,707,130 21%
2006 $20,885,037,597 $27,309,353,955 94.4%
2007 $24,827,339,138 $28,496,442,170 18.9%
2008 $28,679,383,241 $31,103,809,333 15.5%
2009 $26,048,720,006 $32,610,629,349 -9.17%
2010 $32,197,655,567 $35,186,775,129 23.6%
2011 $39,336,668,081 $40,129,504,915 22.2%
2012 $41,271,701,061 $43,858,655,297 4.92%
2013 $62,845,721,960 $47,065,830,438 52.3%
2014 $54,678,533,806 $48,410,143,590 -13%
2015 $49,436,806,230 $49,436,806,230 -9.59%
2016 $56,144,179,398 $51,104,539,956 13.6%
2017 $60,385,409,435 $55,258,774,289 7.55%
2018 $67,259,353,966 $58,684,861,221 11.4%
2019 $68,352,629,246 $62,503,939,827 1.63%
2020 $70,008,243,860 $62,825,173,619 2.42%
2021 $79,514,204,730 $66,014,472,471 13.6%
2022 $73,919,003,210 $68,526,224,001 -7.04%
2023 $80,547,146,878 $70,678,009,792 8.97%
2024 $82,825,288,889 $74,695,964,608 2.83%

Economic Statistics of Ghana

Ghana Rank
Gross domestic product
$82.8B
2024
79/197
GDP growth
2.83%
2023-2024
151/196
GDP per capita
$2,406
2024
150/197
GDP per capita, PPP
$8,027
2024
138/197
Government debt
$58.4B
2024
68/185
Debt-to-GDP ratio
66.4%
2025
64/185
Government debt per person
$1,696
2024
122/185
Average annual personal income after taxes
$1,836
2025
171/197
Listed domestic companies
30
2024
82/103
Market capitalization of domestic companies
$7.58B
2024
72/100
Income share by richest 10%
32.2%
2016
37/169
Income share by poorest 10%
1.6%
2016
155/169
Government expenditure, % of GDP
18.8%
2025
162/195
Consumer prices inflation
22.8%
2023-2024
14/195
Central bank interest rate
28%
2024
4/105
Unemployment rate
2.87%
2022
154/196
Population
35572974
47/197

Ghana's GDP per capita

Ghana has a GDP per capita of $2,406, ranking 150/197, a GDP per capita based on purchasing power parity (PPP) of $8,027, ranking 138/197, and a median annual after tax income of $1,836, ranking 171/197.

GDP per capita
GDP per capita, PPP
Year Current $
GDP per capita GDP per capita, PPP
1960 $174.9 -
1961 $181.9 -
1962 $188.4 -
1963 $205 -
1964 $225 -
1965 $260.5 -
1966 $263.3 -
1967 $211.2 -
1968 $196.7 -
1969 $225.8 -
1970 $248.2 -
1971 $263.4 -
1972 $223.8 -
1973 $310 -
1974 $289.4 -
1975 $273 -
1976 $261 -
1977 $292.3 -
1978 $326 -
1979 $347 -
1980 $372 -
1981 $344 -
1982 $319 -
1983 $311 -
1984 $330 -
1985 $330 -
1986 $411 -
1987 $355 -
1988 $355 -
1989 $350 -
1990 $383 $1,581
1991 $418 $1,678
1992 $396 $1,739
1993 $360 $1,821
1994 $321 $1,875
1995 $372 $1,947
1996 $389 $2,026
1997 $378 $2,097
1998 $400 $2,167
1999 $403 $2,239
2000 $253.7 $2,315
2001 $263.5 $2,397
2002 $297.5 $2,475
2003 $358 $2,584
2004 $406 $2,729
2005 $479 $2,904
2006 $906 $3,103
2007 $1,050 $3,241
2008 $1,183 $3,516
2009 $1,048 $3,617
2010 $1,264 $3,855
2011 $1,507 $4,381
2012 $1,544 $4,934
2013 $2,295 $5,215
2014 $1,950 $5,517
2015 $1,723 $5,191
2016 $1,912 $5,011
2017 $2,012 $5,171
2018 $2,195 $5,536
2019 $2,187 $6,003
2020 $2,195 $6,047
2021 $2,445 $6,608
2022 $2,230 $7,208
2023 $2,384 $7,556
2024 $2,406 $8,027

Ghana's government spending, deficit, and chart

This chart shows Ghana's government spending, budget balance, and debt over time, each expressed as a share of GDP.

Over the past 50 years, Ghana recorded a fiscal deficit in 50 years — average annual deficit equal to -4.72% of GDP. In 2024, government spending reached $19.3B (18.8% of GDP), with a deficit of -2.76%.

The national debt reached $58.4B, ranking 68th out of 185 countries by total size, with a debt-to-GDP ratio of 66.4%, ranking 64th.

Government spending
Government debt
Deficit/surplus
Year % of GDP
Government spending Government debt Government deficit/surplus
1962 12.5% 11.8% -5.04%
1963 15.3% 30.5% -5.66%
1964 15.8% 30.8% -3.72%
1965 14.2% 30.2% -3.29%
1966 9.12% 29.8% -1.29%
1967 11.5% 33.9% -2.32%
1968 12.3% 34.5% -2.34%
1969 11.2% 31.4% -2.67%
1970 12.2% 31.9% -2.35%
1971 11.7% 29.5% 0.13%
1972 11.4% 29.8% -2.19%
1973 9.35% 25.4% -2.64%
1974 9.52% 21.8% -2.06%
1975 13.2% 21.8% -4.05%
1976 12.8% 26% -5.53%
1977 10.5% 20.7% -4.68%
1978 6.54% 11.4% -1.21%
1979 9.14% 11.9% -3.61%
1980 7.77% 10.1% -4.9%
1981 5.82% 8.88% -3.85%
1982 4.76% 8.58% -2.05%
1983 3.63% 9.6% -1.18%
1984 4.88% 13.7% -1.03%
1985 6.36% 15.1% -1.25%
1986 7.82% 19.5% -1.35%
1987 7.89% 28.9% -1%
1988 7.83% 25.4% -1.16%
1989 7.8% 24.8% -0.88%
1990 6.59% 17.8% -1.93%
1991 7.09% 17.3% -1.47%
1992 9.2% 21.3% -4.5%
1993 12.1% 34.1% -5.39%
1994 12.7% 50.6% -4.99%
1995 13% 47.6% -4.52%
1996 12.4% 42.9% -5.61%
1997 12% 45.2% -6.14%
1998 11.8% 37.6% -5.27%
1999 11.1% 51.7% -5.64%
2000 12% 74.5% -3.98%
2001 13.8% 57.8% -3.64%
2002 10.7% 54.1% -2.73%
2003 12.1% 49.3% -1.99%
2004 13.7% 38.4% -2.02%
2005 12.9% 31.7% -1.87%
2006 14.4% 17.3% -3.11%
2007 16.8% 21.1% -4.91%
2008 16.6% 23.2% -5.56%
2009 16.6% 25.4% -5.05%
2010 19% 32.9% -7.13%
2011 19.5% 31.2% -5.47%
2012 22.1% 35.5% -8.36%
2013 21.6% 42.9% -9.12%
2014 21% 50.1% -7.81%
2015 18.6% 53.9% -4.01%
2016 19.9% 55.9% -6.75%
2017 17.6% 57% -3.97%
2018 20.9% 62% -6.79%
2019 22.5% 58.3% -7.52%
2020 31.5% 72.3% -17.4%
2021 27.2% 79.2% -12%
2022 27.5% 85.7% -11.8%
2023 18.5% 76.4% -3.37%
2024 23.3% 70.5% -7.68%
2025 18.8% 66.4% -2.76%

Inflation rate by year

Over the past 20 years, Ghana has had an average annual inflation rate of 15.3%. In 2024, inflation was 22.8%. The bar chart below shows consumer price inflation by year.

Year Inflation
1965 26.4%
1966 13.2%
1967 -8.42%
1968 7.89%
1969 7.32%
1970 3.03%
1971 9.56%
1972 10.1%
1973 17.7%
1974 18.1%
1975 29.8%
1976 56.1%
1977 116.5%
1978 73.1%
1979 54.4%
1980 50.1%
1981 116.5%
1982 22.3%
1983 122.9%
1984 39.7%
1985 10.3%
1986 24.6%
1987 39.8%
1988 31.4%
1989 25.2%
1990 37.3%
1991 18%
1992 10.1%
1993 25%
1994 24.9%
1995 59.5%
1996 46.6%
1997 27.9%
1998 14.6%
1999 4.87%
2000 40.2%
2001 41.5%
2002 9.36%
2003 29.8%
2004 18%
2005 15.4%
2006 11.7%
2007 10.7%
2008 16.5%
2009 19.2%
2010 10.7%
2011 8.73%
2012 11.2%
2013 11.7%
2014 15.5%
2015 17.1%
2016 17.5%
2017 12.4%
2018 7.81%
2019 7.14%
2020 9.89%
2021 9.97%
2022 31.3%
2023 38.1%
2024 22.8%

Balance of trade

Ghana Rank
Current account balance
$1.68B
2024
48/189
Current account balance, % of GDP
+2.03%
2024
56/189
Goods imports
$15.4B
2024
89/188
Goods exports
$19.2B
2024
78/188
Service imports
$11.5B
2024
62/188
Service exports
$9.27B
2024
68/188
Imports of goods and services, % of GDP
34.1%
2024
115/180
Exports of goods and services, % of GDP
35.3%
2024
95/193

Ghana's top 10 trading partners

Ghana's biggest trading partner accounting for 13.5%% of all exports and imports is China, with a trade balance between the two of -$1.7B — Ghana exports $1.38B worth of goods and services to China and imports $3.07B.

Below is the list of the top 10 trade partners of Ghana.

Rank Country Trade value Share of total trade Export to Import from Top export to Top import from
1 China $4.45B 13.5% $1.38B $3.07B Raw materials & minerals Machinery & equipment
2 Switzerland $3.45B 10.4% $3.08B $366M Precious metals & jewellery Raw materials & minerals
3 UAE $2.33B 7.07% $1.71B $621M Precious metals & jewellery Raw materials & minerals
4 South Africa $2.28B 6.92% $1.97B $311M Precious metals & jewellery Machinery & equipment
5 Netherlands $2.24B 6.78% $664M $1.57B Processed food, beverages & tobacco Raw materials & minerals
6 India $2.24B 6.77% $1.18B $1.06B Precious metals & jewellery Raw materials & minerals
7 United States $1.78B 5.39% $788M $993M Raw materials & minerals Machinery & equipment
8 Canada $1.14B 3.46% $855M $288M Raw materials & minerals Raw agricultural goods
9 Russia $1.06B 3.22% $11M $1.05B Raw agricultural goods Raw materials & minerals
10 Belgium $1.02B 3.1% $264M $760M Processed food, beverages & tobacco Raw materials & minerals

Ghana's top 10 exports

Ghana Rank
Precious metals & jewellery $7.67B 24/190
Business & finance services $5.99B 41/188
Raw materials & minerals $4.7B 76/193
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $2.46B 56/192
Manufacturing & construction services $1.66B 33/164
Transport & tourism services $1.37B 106/188
Metals $606M 82/192
Raw agricultural goods $506M 87/193
Chemicals & pharma $365M 92/193
Textiles & consumer goods $156M 115/193

Ghana's top 10 imports

Ghana Rank
Business & finance services $7.2B 40/188
Raw materials & minerals $6.44B 64/193
Machinery & equipment $3.54B 103/193
Transport & tourism services $2.78B 85/188
Government & miscellaneous services $1.79B 11/180
Chemicals & pharma $1.79B 92/193
Metals $1.11B 91/193
Processed food, beverages & tobacco $939M 102/193
Raw agricultural goods $872M 91/193
Textiles & consumer goods $710M 110/193

Economic freedom indices

Ghana Rank
Economic freedom 56 124/197
Property rights 50.5 90/182
Government integrity 45.8 90/182
Judicial effectiveness 58.2 90/182
Tax burden 79.9 85/181
Government spending 81.6 59/180
Fiscal health 6.2 166/181
Business freedom 56.6 118/182
Labor freedom 55.9 110/182
Monetary freedom 52.7 166/180
Trade freedom 64.4 132/181
Investment freedom 60 71/181
Financial freedom 60 45/181

Ghana's economic freedom by year

Ghana is ranked 110/180 for economic freedom with a score of 56, compared to 94/163 and a score of 56.5 in 2005.

Economic freedom
Judicial effectiveness
Tax burden
Government spending
Fiscal health
Year Index
Economic freedom Judicial effectiveness Tax burden Government spending Fiscal health
1995 55.6 - 66.3 81.8 -
1996 57.7 - 73.8 74.8 -
1997 56.7 - 72.9 70.8 -
1998 57 - 73.3 72.3 -
1999 57.9 - 73.2 73.5 -
2000 58.1 - 73.3 84.1 -
2001 58 - 73 84.1 -
2002 57.2 - 73.3 79.7 -
2003 58.2 - 74.5 77 -
2004 59.1 - 77.5 67.9 -
2005 56.5 - 77.4 79.6 -
2006 55.6 - 75.6 74.8 -
2007 57.6 - 82.5 66.7 -
2008 57 - 83.7 71.5 -
2009 58.1 - 83.2 65.7 -
2010 60.2 - 83.5 58.9 -
2011 59.4 - 83.3 46.1 -
2012 60.7 - 81.9 48.3 -
2013 61.3 - 86 52.5 -
2014 64.2 - 85.4 83.3 -
2015 63 - 84.6 70.8 -
2016 63 - 84.9 77.6 -
2017 56.2 40.9 84.5 76.3 9.2
2018 56 43.7 83.5 79 9.5
2019 57.5 44.2 78.8 82 23.9
2020 59.4 46.1 78.4 88.1 35.6
2021 59.2 38.2 82.8 87.8 31.7
2022 59.8 57 82.8 83.8 7.8
2023 58 45.3 82.9 81.2 6.5
2024 55.8 57.3 79.5 75.5 2.9
2025 56 58.2 79.9 81.6 6.2

More economic indicators

Ghana Rank
Services, % of GDP
43.9%
2024
163/191
Industry, % of GDP
28.8%
2024
64/194
Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, % of GDP
20.7%
2024
33/193
GNI, Atlas method
$79.8B
2024
78/194
GNI per capita, PPP
$7,730
2024
137/191
Total reserves including gold
$3.62B
2023
112/177
Net foreign direct investment
-$1.76B
2024
136/188
Net inflows of foreign direct investment
$1.77B
2024
72/193
Net outflows of foreign direct investment
$5.37M
2024
128/187
Servicing debt to the IMF, % of GNI
1.71%
2023
94/119
Poverty at national poverty lines
23.4%
2016
79/176
Gross capital formation, % of GDP
9.96%
2024
168/176

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GDP per capita map

GDP per capita

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The current account balance is the sum of net trade in goods and services, net earnings from cross-border investments, and net transfer payments. It reflects a country's economic transactions with the rest of the world and is a fundamental component of the balance of payments. A surplus indicates that a country exports more than it imports, while a deficit shows the opposite.

Gross National Income (GNI) measures a country's total income. It encompasses income earned by residents, businesses, and foreign sources, defined as employee compensation and investment profits. GNI adds product taxes not included elsewhere and subtracts subsidies. It accounts for income from residents working abroad but excludes earnings from foreigners within the country.

A negative value for Net Foreign Direct Investment indicates a country is a net receiver of investments, as foreign inflows exceed outflows after Balance of Payments adjustments. A positive value indicates a net provider, with outflows exceeding inflows. Inflows are credits (increasing foreign claims on domestic assets), while outflows are debits (increasing domestic assets abroad).

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net inflows) shows how much capital foreign investors bring into a country after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of overseas companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in the reporting country. A positive number means more capital entered the country than was withdrawn, while a negative number means foreign investors pulled out more than they invested.

Foreign direct investment (FDI, net outflows) shows how much capital residents of a country invest abroad after accounting for any funds that flow back in the opposite direction. It represents the net value of domestic companies establishing, expanding, or financing businesses in other countries. A positive number means more capital was invested abroad than withdrawn, while a negative number means residents pulled back more than they invested.

Principal and interest payments to the IMF in currency, goods, or services on long-term debt expressed as a share of GNI.

Formerly gross domestic investment, gross capital formation measures the share of a country’s economic output invested in fixed assets, including buildings, machinery, and infrastructure. It indicates how much of the economy is devoted to building productive capacity.