Income share of the richest 1% vs. GDP per capita in Ghana
Ghana: Income share of the richest 1% vs. GDP per capita was 15.2% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Income share of the richest 1% vs. GDP per capita in Ghana, 1943–2016
Source: World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2016, income share of the richest 1% vs. gdp per capita in Ghana stood at 15.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, income share of the richest 1% vs. gdp per capita in Ghana peaked at 22.4% in 1956 and was at its lowest, 12.2%, in 1998.
Ghana ranks 51st of 113 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Income share of the richest 1% vs. GDP per capita in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1943 | 21.4% | — |
| 1951 | 20.3% | -5.3% |
| 1952 | 20.4% | +0.6% |
| 1953 | 21.5% | +5.1% |
| 1954 | 21.3% | -0.7% |
| 1955 | 21.2% | -0.6% |
| 1956 | 22.4% | +5.4% |
| 1957 | 22.2% | -0.8% |
| 1958 | 21.9% | -1.0% |
| 1959 | 21.4% | -2.6% |
| 1988 | 12.5% | -41.6% |
| 1991 | 13.8% | +10.5% |
| 1998 | 12.2% | -11.7% |
| 2005 | 15.8% | +30.0% |
| 2012 | 14.4% | -9.1% |
| 2016 | 15.2% | +5.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 21.4% | 21.4% | 21.4% | 1 |
| 1950s | 21.4% | 20.3% | 22.4% | 9 |
| 1980s | 12.5% | 12.5% | 12.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 13.0% | 12.2% | 13.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 15.8% | 15.8% | 15.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 14.8% | 14.4% | 15.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More economy & growth data for Ghana
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.15 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), annual growth 37.1 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.934 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current US$), per capita 3,042 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), annual growth 21.22 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per unit of GDP 11.73 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (current LCU), per capita 38,201 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), annual 5.88 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross value added at basic prices (GVA) (constant 2015 US$), per unit 0.6389 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is income share of the richest 1% vs. gdp per capita in Ghana?
- Income share of the richest 1% vs. gdp per capita in Ghana was 15.2% in 2016, according to World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest income share of the richest 1% vs. gdp per capita recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 22.4% in 1956.
- What is the lowest income share of the richest 1% vs. gdp per capita recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.2% in 1998.
- How does Ghana rank for income share of the richest 1% vs. gdp per capita?
- Ghana ranks 51st out of 113 countries with data for 2016.
- Is income share of the richest 1% vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from World Inequality Database (WID.world) (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Income share of the richest 1% vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of income received by the richest 1% of the population. Income here is measured before taxes and benefits.