Ghanaians identify unemployment as the most important issue for the government to address, followed closely by infrastructure/roads and health, the latest Afrobarometer survey reveals.

Citizens express widespread support for the continuation of government initiatives aimed at social and economic improvement. Large majorities back the free senior high school programme as well as the planting/rearing for food and jobs; one district, one factory; and one village, one dam initiatives. In contrast, more than three-quarters of citizens prefer that the electronic transactions levy (e-levy) be discontinued.

Many Ghanaians experienced some level of lived poverty in the past year, suffering
shortages of basic necessities such as food and clean water. Large majorities of citizens rate
the government’s economic performance negatively.

Key findings

• Unemployment (41%) is the most frequently cited problem that Ghanaians want the government to address, followed by infrastructure/roads (38%) and health (33%) (Figure 1).
• Strong majorities express support for the next government to continue several current programmes: the free senior high school (85%); planting/rearing for food and jobs (81%); one district, one factory (71%); and one village, one dam (60%) (Figure 2). But 79% favour discontinuing the electronic transactions levy (e-levy).
• Seven in 10 Ghanaians say they or someone in their household went without a cash income at least once during the previous year. Many also report shortages of medical care (54%), water (44%), food (44%), and cooking fuel (42%) (Figure 3).
• Ratings of the government’s economic performance are overwhelmingly negative. Fewer than two in 10 Ghanaians rate the government positively on managing the economy (19%), creating jobs (18%), improving living standards of the poor (17%), narrowing gaps between rich and poor (11%) and keeping prices stable (8%) (Figure 4).

Afrobarometer surveys

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, non-partisan survey research network that provides reliable data on African experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life. Nine survey rounds in up to 42 countries have been completed since 1999. Round 10 were launched in January 2024. Afrobarometer’s national partners conduct face-to-face interviews in the language of the respondent’s choice. The Afrobarometer team in Ghana, led by the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, interviewed a nationally representative sample of 2,400 adult Ghanaians in August 2024. A sample of this size yields country-level results with a margin of error of +/-2 percentage points  at a 95% confidence level. Previous surveys were conducted in Ghana in 1999, 2002, 2005,
2008, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2022.