Food insecurity in Ghana rises to 13.3m

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) announced on Thursday, 16 October, that food insecurity in Ghana rose by 7.3 per cent over the course of 2024.

The number of Ghanaians lacking consistent access to adequate and nutritious food, a basic human right, increased from 12.4 million in the first quarter to 13.3 million by the end of the fourth quarter.

This rise occurred despite ongoing national anti-hunger initiatives, with the GSS noting that regional and gender inequalities persist in access to food.

The announcement coincides with global observance of World Food Day under the theme, “Right to Foods for a Better Life and a Better Future.”

The Volta Region recorded the highest rate of food insecurity, rising slightly from 51.5 per cent in the first quarter to 52 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2024. The Greater Accra Region had the lowest rate, though it also rose sharply from 20.2 per cent to 29 per cent within the same period.

The data further revealed that female-headed households remain more vulnerable to food insecurity than male-headed households.

“The proportion of female-headed households that were food insecure increased from 40.4 per cent in the first quarter to 44 per cent in the fourth quarter. Among male-headed households, the rate rose from 32.4 per cent to 37.1 per cent,” the report stated.

The report also highlighted worrying links between food insecurity and child nutrition, indicating that the proportion of households with underweight children under five years who were food insecure rose from 38 per cent in the first quarter to 44.9 per cent in the fourth quarter.

In contrast, the proportion of households with wasted children, a form of acute malnutrition, fell slightly from 46.25 per cent to 43.5 per cent.

The GSS said the findings demonstrate persistent nutritional vulnerabilities, particularly among households with children facing poor health outcomes.

Additionally, the number of Ghanaians who are both food insecure and multidimensionally poor increased by 400,000, rising from 3.7 million in the first quarter to 4.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024.

“This reinforces the need for integrated policy responses that address multiple deprivations such as income, health, education and living standards simultaneously,” the report said.