Regional Inequality Undermines Gains as Multidimensional Poverty Falls — GSS
By: Solomon Nartey Tetteh
Government Statistician Dr. Alhasan Iddrisu has revealed that Ghana has made measurable progress in reducing multidimensional poverty, but stark regional inequalities continue to undermine the national gains. Speaking during the presentation of the 2024 Q1 to 2025 Q3 Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) Report by the Ghana statistical Service, Dr. Iddrisu noted that while national indicators show improvement, the benefits of progress are not being shared evenly across the country, stressing the importance of disaggregating poverty data by region to fully understand the depth of deprivation across Ghana.
According to the report, Ghana’s national multidimensional poverty rate stood at 21.9 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2025. However, a regional breakdown revealed alarming disparities, particularly in the North East and Savannah Regions, where poverty incidence exceeded 50 percent in the second and third quarters of 2025.
Dr. Iddrisu explained that the figures mean more than half of the population in those regions are deprived in several basic needs, including education, health, and living standards.
“if nationally we are dealing with multidimensional poverty of 21.9 percent, and you have two regions recording above 50 percent, that is far above the national average. That is a serious problem,” he stated.
He acknowledged that overall multidimensional poverty has declined over the period under review but emphasized that the uneven pace of improvement raises concerns about inequality and inclusive development.
“we’ve seen some progress with multidimensional poverty coming down, but the progress is not even. Some regions are recording levels far higher than the national average,” Dr. Iddrisu said.
The Government Statistician further indicated that such disparities highlight the need for targeted policy interventions, especially in regions lagging behind, to ensure that poverty reduction efforts translate into improved living conditions for all Ghanaians.
He stressed that regional analysis remains critical for guiding government planning, resource allocation, and social protection programmes aimed at addressing persistent deprivation and narrowing inequality gaps across the country.
