The Republic of Ghana

Ghana Republic of Ghana
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	121st best
Capital	Accra
Land Area	227 540km21
Location	Africa
Population	29.8m2
Life Expectancy	63.80yrs (2017)3
GNI	$5 745 (2017)4
ISO3166-1 Codes	GH, GHA, 2885
Internet Domain	.gh6
Currency	Cedi (GHC)7
Telephone	+2338

1. Overview
2. Ghana National and Social Development
3. Ghana's Demographics and Migration
4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Ghana's Health
   1. Health Datasets
   2. Children's Health Datasets
6. Ghana's Responsibility Towards The Environment
   1. A Dumping Group for the West's Electronic Waste
7. Ghana's Modernity and Learning
   1. Modernity Datasets
   2. Education Datasets
   3. Technology and Information Datasets
8. Ghana's Culture, Peace and Inequality
   1. National Culture Datasets
   2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets
   3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

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1. Overview

#ghana #UK

“Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS took over as head of state in early 2009, but he died in July 2012 and was succeeded by his vice president John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won a December 2012 special presidential election.”

CIA's The World Factbook (2013)₉

“Hailed as West Africa´s golden child, Ghana, a historic land boasting a depth of culture and diverse natural attractions, deserves its place in the sun. One of Africa´s great success stories, Ghana is reaping the benefits of a stable democracy in the form of fast-paced development. And it shows: Ghana is suffused with the most incredible energy.

Ghana has the signature African attractions of beautiful beaches and herds of elephants in its fine national parks, plus drawcards like hiking, partying and cultural tours. With its welcoming beaches, gorgeous hinterland, rich culture, vibrant cities, diverse wildlife, easy transport and affable inhabitants, it´s no wonder Ghana is sometimes labelled "Africa for beginners".

But this is only half the story. No trip can be complete without a visit to Ghana's coastal slave forts, poignant reminders of a page of history that defined our modern world.

Travel north and you´ll feel like you´ve arrived in a different country, with a different religion, geography and cultural practices. The beauty is that this diversity exists so harmoniously, a joy to experience and a wonder to behold in uncertain times.”

"The World" by Lonely Planet (2014)₁₀

2. Ghana National and Social Development

#economics #human_development #wealth

UN HDI (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better Value11
1	Switzerland	0.962
2	Norway	0.961
3	Iceland	0.959
	...
130	Tuvalu	0.641
131	Marshall Islands	0.639
132	India	0.633
133	Ghana	0.632
134	Micronesia	0.628
135	Guatemala	0.627
136	Kiribati	0.624
137	Honduras	0.621
	Africa Avg	0.56
	World Avg	0.72
q=191.

Gross National Income Per-Capita (2021)11
Pos.		Higher is better PPP $11
1	Liechtenstein	$146 830
2	Singapore	$90 919
3	Qatar	$87 134
	...
129	Tuvalu	$6 351
130	Belize	$6 309
131	Cape Verde	$6 230
132	Ghana	$5 745
133	Nicaragua	$5 625
134	Bangladesh	$5 472
135	Angola	$5 466
136	Samoa	$5 308
	Africa Avg	$5 339
	World Avg	$20 136
q=193.

Social & Moral Development Index12
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank12
1	Denmark	27.2
2	Norway	29.2
3	Sweden	30.2
	...
118	Palau	96.5
119	Belize	96.8
120	Lebanon	96.9
121	Ghana	97.4
122	Guyana	97.7
123	Algeria	98.0
124	Uzbekistan	98.5
125	Azerbaijan	98.8
	Africa Avg	115.2
	World Avg	89.2
q=200.

The United Nations produces an annual Human Development Report which includes the Human Development Index. The factors taken into account include life expectancy, education and schooling and Gross National Income (GNI) amongst many others..

The Social and Moral Development Index concentrates on moral issues and human rights, violence, public health, equality, tolerance, freedom and effectiveness in climate change mitigation and environmentalism, and on some technological issues. A country scores higher for achieving well in those areas, and for sustaining that achievement in the long term. Those countries towards the top of this index can truly said to be setting good examples and leading humankind onwards into a bright, humane, and free future. See: Which are the Best Countries in the World? The Social and Moral Development Index.

3. Ghana's Demographics and Migration

#birth_control #demographics #fertility #health #immigration #life_expectancy #longevity #migration #overpopulation #population #yemen

Population Datasets:

Ghana's population is predicted to rise to 36.54 million by 2030. These millions of extra people will all need space to live, food to eat, energy to consume, and will increase the burden on the planet's resources. This country has a fertility rate of 3.51. The fertility rate is, in simple terms, the average amount of children that each woman has. The higher the figure, the quicker the population will grow, although, to calculate the rate you also need to take into account morbidity - the rate at which people die. If people live healthy and long lives and morbidity is low, then, 2.0 approximates to the replacement rate (two new children for each set of parents who die), which would keep the population stable. If all countries had such a fertility rate, population growth would end. The actual replacement rate in most developed countries is around 2.1, once you take mortality into account₁₃. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₄

Population2
Pos.		2018 Population2
1	China	1.4b
2	India	1.4b
3	USA	327.1m
	...
43	Peru	32.0m
44	Malaysia	31.5m
45	Angola	30.8m
46	Ghana	29.8m
47	Mozambique	29.5m
48	Venezuela	28.9m
49	Yemen	28.5m
50	Nepal	28.1m
	World Avg	39.0m
q=195.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
152	Tuvalu	64.5
153	Madagascar	64.5
154	Mauritania	64.4
155	Ghana	63.8
156	Yemen	63.8
157	Bolivia	63.6
158	Nauru	63.6
159	Congo, (Brazzaville)	63.5
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
164	Iraq	3.45
165	Gabon	3.46
166	Nauru	3.46
167	Ghana	3.51
168	Vanuatu	3.70
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better16
Pos.		2016 Per 10016
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
35=	Mozambique	06.4
35=	Madagascar	06.4
35=	Papua New Guinea	06.4
38=	Ghana	06.5
38=	Palestine	06.5
40=	Ethiopia	06.6
40=	Swaziland	06.6
42=	Central African Rep.	06.8
	World Avg	18.3
q=185.

• The Population of the Earth
• Abortion, Birth Control and Contraception

Migration Datasets:

Immigrants17
Pos.		2017 %17
1	UAE	88.4%
2	Kuwait	75.5%
3	Qatar	65.2%
	...
139	Senegal	1.7%
140	Comoros	1.5%
141	Fiji	1.5%
142	Ghana	1.4%
143	Niger	1.4%
144	Yemen	1.4%
145	Bolivia	1.3%
146	Tuvalu	1.3%
	World Avg	9.4%
q=195.

Emigrants18
Pos.		2010 %18
1	Dominica	104.8%
2	Palestine	68.4%
3	Samoa	67.3%
	...
134	Canada	3.5%
135	Algeria	3.4%
136	Sweden	3.4%
137	Ghana	3.4%
138	Nepal	3.3%
139	Bangladesh	3.3%
140	Botswana	3.2%
141	Spain	3.0%
	World Avg	11.5%
q=192.

4. Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance

#antisemitism #christianity #equality #freedom #gender_equality #Ghana #ghana_antisemitism #human_rights #morals #politics #prejudice #tolerance

Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance (2025)19
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank19
1	Sweden	7.5
2	Netherlands	8.6
3	Denmark	9.0
	...
87	Albania	87.5
88	Nauru	89.3
89	Bosnia & Herzegovina	89.5
90	Ghana	89.8
91	Botswana	89.8
92	Guyana	90.0
	Africa Avg	116.60
	World Avg	90.04
q=198.

Ghana does relatively well in ensuring human rights and freedom, compared to many other countries. Ghana comes in the best 20 for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₂₀ (one of the lowest in Africa). It does better than average in combatting modern slavery₂₁, supporting press freedom₂₂, its average Freedom in the World rating and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₃. But, there's bad news too. Ghana does worse than average in terms of freethought₂₄, opposing gender inequality₂₅ (still low for Africa) and in LGBT equality in the 2020s₂₆. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in the rate of gender bias (from 7 indicators)₂₇. Homosexuality is illegal, and even in 2021, new and harsher legal measures were going through government, including imprisonment of ten years for promoting LGBT tolerance₂₈, coming after a push by a coalition of conservative Christian and Islamic organisations.

For tables, charts and commentary, see:

• Human Rights and Freedom in Ghana

5. Ghana's Health

#health

Compared to Africa (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Mauritius	72.2
2	Tunisia	73.9
3	Seychelles	78.0
	...
8	Sao Tome & Principe	108.5
9	Botswana	108.7
10	Egypt	113.2
11	Ghana	117.4
12	Rwanda	117.5
13	Kenya	119.7
14	Eritrea	120.8
15	Gambia	120.8
16	S. Africa	123.0
	Africa Avg	127.77
q=54.

Health (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	10.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Japan	40.8
	...
140	Egypt	113.2
141	Nepal	115.8
142	Guatemala	116.5
143	Ghana	117.4
144	Rwanda	117.5
145	Suriname	117.8
146	Tuvalu	118.6
147	Kenya	119.7
	World Avg	97.39
q=207.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and Japan₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are Angola, Somalia and S. Sudan₃₀.

42 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on its average life expectancy, its alcohol consumption rate, its fertility rate, its smoking rate, its suicide rate, its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance, the prevalence of overweight adults, obesity rate, its adolescent birth rate, delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations, delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 and childhood mortality. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Mediterranean₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Melanesia₃₀.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

5.1. Health Datasets

#2010s #alcohol #birth_control #demographics #ethiopia #ghana #health #life_expectancy #longevity #mental_health #nigeria #obesity #overpopulation #smoking #suicide

Ghana has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Ghana does the second-best for its smoking rate₃₁. It does better than average when it comes to delivery rate of infant DTP immunizations in the 2020s₃₂, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₃ (but bad for Africa), its alcohol consumption rate₃₄ and in its suicide rate₃₅. Ghana does not succeed in everything, however. Ghana does worse than average in delivery rate of 7x Infant Immunizations 2011-2015₃₆ (still good for Africa), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₇, its adolescent birth rate₃₈ (still good for Africa), childhood mortality in the 2020s₃₉, its average life expectancy₁₁ (still high for Africa) and in its fertility rate₁₅ (still low for Africa). The prevalence of overweight adults has increased by 14% during the last 40 years. Life expectancy in Ghana improved by +9.1yrs in the 30 years from 1990, better than the global average of +7.9yrs. Ghana's peak fertility rate was 6.98 in 1963.

Life Expectancy Higher is better11
Pos.		2021 Years11
1	Monaco	85.9
2	Hong Kong	85.5
3	Japan	84.8
	...
152	Tuvalu	64.5
153	Madagascar	64.5
154	Mauritania	64.4
155	Ghana	63.8
156	Yemen	63.8
157	Bolivia	63.6
158	Nauru	63.6
159	Congo, (Brazzaville)	63.5
	Africa Avg	62.79
	World Avg	71.28
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better34
Pos.		2016 Per Capita34
1	Bangladesh	0.0
2	Kuwait	0.0
3	Libya	0.0
	...
50=	Guatemala	2.5
51	Congo, DR	2.6
52=	Uzbekistan	2.7
52=	Ghana	2.7
52=	Maldives	2.7
55	Ethiopia	2.9
56=	Fiji	3.0
56=	Benin	3.0
	Africa Avg	4.8
	World Avg	6.2
q=189.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best15
Pos.		202215
1	US Virgin Islands	2.00
2	Ecuador	2.00
3	Nepal	2.01
	...
164	Iraq	3.45
165	Gabon	3.46
166	Nauru	3.46
167	Ghana	3.51
168	Vanuatu	3.70
169	Yemen	3.72
170	Rwanda	3.75
171	Sao Tome & Principe	3.75
	Africa Avg	3.97
	World Avg	2.47
q=208. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

Smoking in the 2020s Lower is better31
Pos.		Smoking in the 2020s %31
1	Nigeria	3.3%
2	Ghana	3.4%
3	Panama	5.2%
4	Ethiopia	5.2%
5	Turkmenistan	5.6%
6	Benin	6.3%
7	Togo	6.4%
8=	Cameroon	6.5%
8=	Senegal	6.5%
10	Barbados	7.0%
11	Peru	7.2%
12	Chad	7.4%
	Africa Avg	12.4%
	World Avg	20.0%
q=165. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Ghana had the 2^nd-lowest smoking rate in the world on average in the 2000s (after Ethiopia), the lowest rate in the world in the 2010s before being beaten by Nigeria on average in the 2020s (so far).

Suicide Rate in the 2010s Lower is better35
Pos.		Suicide Rate in the 2010s Per 100k35
1=	Jordan	1.00
1=	Sao Tome & Principe	1.00
1=	Antigua & Barbuda	1.00
	...
59	Israel	5.35
60	Guatemala	5.36
61	Ethiopia	5.38
62	Ghana	5.40
63=	Mexico	5.44
63=	Armenia	5.44
65	Bolivia	5.53
66	Kenya	5.55
	Africa Avg	7.70
	World Avg	9.24
q=185. Also scored for 2000s-2010s.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Sweden	1
2	Ireland	2
3	Denmark	3
	...
136	Madagascar	136
137	Congo, (Brazzaville)	137
138	Albania	138
139	Ghana	139
140	Chad	140
141	Rwanda	141
142	Mali	142
143	Niger	143
	Africa Avg	117.0
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Overweight Adults Lower is better33
Pos.		1976 %33
1	Bangladesh	4.7
2	Vietnam	5.1
3	Nepal	5.4
	...
47	Senegal	11.1
48=	Cameroon	11.2
48=	Liberia	11.2
50	Ghana	11.4
51=	Ivory Coast	11.5
51=	Sudan	11.5
53	Sao Tome & Principe	11.7
54	Congo, (Brazzaville)	11.8
	Africa Avg	13.4
	World Avg	27.1
q=191.

Adult Obesity Lower is better40
Pos.		2022 %40
1	Vietnam	2.1%
2	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	2.2%
3	Ethiopia	2.4%
	...
46	Indonesia	11.5%
47	Yemen	11.6%
48	Bhutan	12.0%
49	Ghana	12.1%
50	Zimbabwe	12.4%
51	Somalia	12.7%
52	Gambia	13.2%
53	Cameroon	13.4%
	Africa Avg	13.7%
	World Avg	24.7%
q=199. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

5.2. Children's Health Datasets

#children's_health #health #parenting #population #vaccines

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better38
Pos.		2022 Per 100038
1	Hong Kong	1.6
2	Denmark	1.8
3	S. Korea	2.1
	...
146	Vanuatu	63.2
147	Dominican Rep.	63.2
148	Nepal	63.4
149	Ghana	63.4
150	Eritrea	63.6
151	Senegal	64.6
152	Guyana	64.6
153	Ethiopia	66.5
	Africa Avg	84.6
	World Avg	43.8
q=195. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Higher is better32
Pos.		Infant DTP Immunizations (2020s) Avg %32
1=	Luxembourg	99.0
1=	Oman	99.0
1=	Niue	99.0
	...
44=	Tajikistan	97.3
45	Denmark	97.2
46=	Fiji	97.1
46=	Ghana	97.1
46=	St Kitts & Nevis	97.1
49=	Russia	97.0
49=	Tunisia	97.0
51=	Kazakhstan	96.9
	Africa Avg	82.9
	World Avg	88.5
q=211. Also scored for 1980s-2020s.

7x Infant Immunizations (2011-2015) Higher is better36
Pos.		2015 Avg %36
1=	Hungary	99.0
1=	China	99.0
3	Uzbekistan	98.9
	...
107	Azerbaijan	92.2
108=	Australia	92.1
108=	Barbados	92.1
110=	Ghana	91.7
110=	Lesotho	91.7
112	Malawi	91.7
113	Mexico	91.6
114	Moldova	91.5
	Africa Avg	81.7
	World Avg	88.3
q=194.

Infant Mortality (2020s) Lower is better39
Pos.		Infant Mortality (2020s) Per 100039
1	San Marino	2.11
2	Finland	2.59
3	Luxembourg	2.60
	...
152	Namibia	52.36
153	Myanmar	52.96
154	Senegal	53.83
155	Ghana	54.29
156	Congo, (Brazzaville)	54.48
157	Laos	55.34
158	Tanzania	56.34
159	Uganda	58.61
	Africa Avg	71.63
	World Avg	32.19
q=195. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

6. Ghana's Responsibility Towards The Environment

#biodiversity #climate_change #deforestation #energy #environmentalism #food #germany #ghana #internationalism #meat #over-exploitation #sustainability #the_environment #veganism #vegetarianism

Compared to Africa (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Morocco	46.5
2	Burundi	47.8
3	Mali	51.0
	...
7	Uganda	57.8
8	Kenya	57.9
9	Mauritius	58.1
10	Ghana	58.6
11	Tunisia	60.1
12	Niger	61.3
13	Tanzania	61.6
14	Ethiopia	61.7
15	Cameroon	62.6
	Africa Avg	78.58
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)41
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank41
1	Sri Lanka	34.9
2	Uruguay	43.2
3	Switzerland	45.0
	...
22	Portugal	58.0
23	Mauritius	58.1
24	Germany	58.2
25	Ghana	58.6
26	Thailand	59.5
27	Spain	59.5
28	Austria	59.6
29	Tunisia	60.1
	World Avg	84.93
q=199.

We have known for a long term that we must protect the environment from habitation destruction, over-exploitation, pollution, and the emissions that cause climate change. In 1998, Greenpeace wrote that "Environment can no longer be meaningfully separated from health, quality of life, democracy, education, economy or trade"₄₂. What countries have been doing the right thing, via legislation and national culture? All countries' current and historical approach towards the environment is gauged via 21 datasets, including multiple decades of data on its forested percent change 2000-2020, its environmental performance, energy to GDP efficiency, its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population, reducing annual meat consumption per person and its score on the Green Future Index.

The countries that do the best (Sri Lanka, Uruguay and Switzerland) tend to have avoided the excesses of early industrial countries, and have not yet repeated the same mistakes of environmental destruction - at least, not on the same scale. The regions with the best average results per country are Central America, South America and Scandinavia. The worst are Eritrea, The Vatican City and Timor-Leste (E. Timor), and the worst regions Micronesia, Australasia and Melanesia.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Best Environmental Records" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

Ghana comes 25th in the world in terms of its responsibility towards the environment. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Ghana does better than average in terms of its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₃, energy to GDP efficiency₄₄ and in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₅. Ghana does not succeed in everything, however. Ghana does worse than average for its environmental performance₄₆ (still good for Africa) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₇. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 when it comes to its score on the Green Future Index₄₈ (amongst the lowest in Africa).

Environmental Performance Higher is better46
Pos.		201846
1	Switzerland	87.4
2	France	84.0
3	Denmark	81.6
	...
121	Thailand	49.9
122	Micronesia	49.8
123	Libya	49.8
124	Ghana	49.7
125	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	49.5
126	Senegal	49.5
127	Malawi	49.2
128	Guyana	47.9
	Africa Avg	46.4
	World Avg	56.4
q=180.

Energy to GDP Efficiency Lower is better44
Pos.		2022 Avg44
1	Rwanda	0.25
2	Chad	0.26
3	Tanzania	0.31
	...
48	Comoros	0.81
49	Costa Rica	0.81
50	Latvia	0.81
51	Ghana	0.83
52	Colombia	0.83
53	Lithuania	0.83
54	Italy	0.84
55	Mali	0.86
	Africa Avg	0.83
	World Avg	1.23
q=165. Also scored for 1960s-2010s.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		International Accords on the Environment Avg Rate
1	Sweden	83%
2	Canada	82%
3	Norway	81%
	...
38	Uzbekistan	69%
39	India	69%
40	Paraguay	69%
41	Ghana	68%
42	Luxembourg	68%
43	Netherlands	68%
44	Kenya	68%
45	Senegal	67%
	Africa Avg	56.4%
	World Avg	57.5%
q=197. Also scored for 1970s-2020s.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better45
Pos.		2011 %45
1	Argentina	78.3%
2	Greece	77.6%
3	Brazil	77.1%
	...
64	India	41.2%
65	Canada	41.2%
66	Serbia	41.1%
67	Ghana	40.4%
68	Moldova	40.4%
69	Cameroon	39.0%
70	Uganda	38.6%
71	Sierra Leone	38.6%
	Africa Avg	38.3%
	World Avg	39.9%
q=145.

Meat Consumption Lower is better43
Pos.		2021 kg43
1	Congo, DR	03.0
2	Burundi	03.5
3	Bangladesh	04.3
	...
42=	Angola	20.0
43	S. Sudan	20.2
44	Liberia	20.3
45	Ghana	20.9
46	Haiti	21.6
47	Lesotho	21.7
48	Thailand	26.0
49	Swaziland	27.1
	Africa Avg	24.9
	World Avg	52.5
q=185. Also scored for 2010s.

Green Future Index Higher is better48
Pos.		2023 Score48
1	Iceland	6.7
2	Finland	6.7
3	Norway	6.4
	...
62	Peru	4.0
63	Turkey	3.8
64	Cameroon	3.8
65	Ghana	3.8
66	Uganda	3.7
67	Pakistan	3.7
68	Malaysia	3.7
69=	Guatemala	3.6
	Africa Avg	4.0
	World Avg	4.8
q=76.

6.1. A Dumping Group for the West's Electronic Waste ₅₀

#capitalism #environmentalism #ghana

“More than 1,000 containers of used electronic equipment from developed countries arrive in Ghana every year. They contain, at a rough estimate, 300,000 electronic appliances - mostly TVs, fridges and computers. Most of the devices are broken and can't be re-used, so they are sold directly to scrap dealers, who collect metal from the waste and sell it for recycling. The so-called 'recycling' takes place at scrap markets - big dumpsites covered in waste, and the electronic waste contains lots of toxic chemicals that are released into the environment during the recycling process. In the yards, unprotected workers - many of them children - dismantle computers and TVs with little more than stones, in search of metals that can be sold. The remaining plastic, cables and casings are either burnt or simply dumped.”

Greenpeace Annual Report (2008)₅₁

Samples of soils and materials from these dumps, of which the especially the Agbogbloshie scrapyard in Accra is the most famous were found to contain chemicals hazardous for children's reproductive and nervous systems, and carcinogens, harming the children and workers who handle the waste, ordinarily without PPE. Consumers rarely know how to dispose of electronic goods safely and it is often too difficult to do so, only some national dumps have specialist disposal points and sadly, they are the ones sending waste to Ghana and elsewhere, as they simply have no capacity to dismantle and process it and adherence to WEEE and Basel Convention rules are not very strongly guarded. Multinationals have almost zero interest in collecting, recycling or safeguarding the waste from their products, and governments are not doing enough to force them into pursuing safer practices.

Greenpeace found that a substantial amount of e-waste is being intentionally mis-labelled as "second-hand goods" and "charitable donations" and then sent it to centres abroad such as in Ghana, to be disposed of, and therefore, not having to follow the rules surrounding waste disposal. The majority of the 150,000 tonnes of e-waste arriving in Ghana takes this route.

7. Ghana's Modernity and Learning

#education #modernity #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2025)52
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank52
1	S. Africa	63.3
2	Seychelles	63.4
3	Tunisia	68.7
	...
11	Botswana	104.8
12	Kenya	107.0
13	Djibouti	107.9
14	Ghana	111.9
15	Cameroon	115.0
16	Nigeria	115.5
17	Uganda	117.3
18	Togo	119.6
19	Swaziland	120.1
	Africa Avg	124.71
q=54.

Modernity & Learning (2025)52
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank52
1	Finland	6.1
2	Iceland	8.1
3	Denmark	8.8
	...
128	Maldives	107.2
129	Djibouti	107.9
130	Samoa	109.0
131	Ghana	111.9
132	Guyana	112.8
133	Bahamas	113.4
134	Kiribati	113.8
135	Cameroon	115.0
	World Avg	84.96
q=197.

The most modern countries, with the best results from education, the highest levels of research, and with the easiest access to information on the Internet, are Finland, Iceland and Denmark₅₃. The worst countries are S. Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia₅₃. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₅₄.

“Education, at all levels and ages, is the single most vital support for equality as well as being a country's most vital economic and social resource. [...] Every successful aspirant to modernisation and economic development, from Japan to South Korea, China to Chile, has got there with a big emphasis on education.”

Bill Emmott (2017)₅₅

27 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Intellectual Endeavours, metric system adoption rate, Religiosity, IQ, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Maths, Science & Reading, the percent of citizens with access to the internet, Freedom On The Internet, IT Security, IPv6 Uptake and digital quality of life. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Baltic States and Europe₅₃, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₅₃.

For more, see:

• " Which Countries are Most Modern, With the Best Education and Internet Access?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

7.1. Modernity Datasets

#intelligence #metric #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2956
2	Israel	4.1156
3	Japan	3.5856
	...
71=	Romania	0.3856
71=	Montenegro	0.3857
71=	Chile	0.3856
71=	Ghana	0.3858
75	Moldova	0.3557
76	Ecuador	0.3459
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.3357
78	Iran	0.3158
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Ukraine	1
2	Czechia	2
3	Hungary	3
	...
60	Egypt	60
61	Japan	61
62	Malta	62
63	Ghana	63
64	Samoa	64
65	Jordan	65
66	Namibia	66
67	India	67
	Africa Avg	106.4
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Metric System Adoption Rate Higher is better60
Pos.		2025 %60
1=	Slovakia	100
1=	Poland	100
1=	Portugal	100
	...
119=	Kuwait	90
119=	Indonesia	90
119=	Jordan	90
119=	Ghana	90
119=	Kenya	90
119=	Equatorial Guinea	90
119=	St Vincent & Grenadines	90
119=	Ivory Coast	90
	Africa Avg	90
	World Avg	92
q=187. Also scored for 1960s-2020s.

Officially adopted metric in 1972. Progression:

• 1960 (60%): British legacy with growing metric; mixed everyday use.
• 1970 (75%): Metrication via standards acts; commerce/education shift.
• 1980 (85%): Metric dominant officially; informal legacy persists.
• 2000 (90%).
• 2025 (90%).

Religiosity Lower is better61
Pos.		2018 %61
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
86=	Nigeria	88
86=	Nicaragua	88
88=	Djibouti	89
88=	Ghana	89
88=	Guatemala	89
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better62
Pos.		200662
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
108=	S. Africa	72
109=	Zambia	71
109=	Jamaica	71
109=	Ghana	71
112=	Namibia	70
112=	Togo	70
112=	Botswana	70
112=	Rwanda	70
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

7.2. Education Datasets

#education #english #maths #science

Secondary Education Higher is better63
Pos.		201863
1=	Luxembourg	100.0%
1=	Estonia	100.0%
1=	Austria	100.0%
	...
86	Argentina	64.8%
87	Greece	64.8%
88	Guyana	63.3%
89	Ghana	63.1%
90	Peru	62.2%
91	Palestine	61.1%
92	Suriname	60.5%
93	Mexico	59.7%
	Africa Avg	34.4%
	World Avg	63.0%
q=169.

Length of Schooling Higher is better64
Pos.		2021 Years64
1	Australia	21.1
2	New Zealand	20.3
3	Greece	20.0
	...
134	Angola	12.2
135	Zimbabwe	12.1
136	Iraq	12.1
137	Ghana	12.0
138	Lesotho	12.0
139	Namibia	11.9
140	Comoros	11.9
141	India	11.9
	Africa Avg	11.0
	World Avg	13.5
q=193. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

7.3. Technology and Information Datasets

#it_security #modernity #politics #technology #the_internet

Internet Users (2020s) Higher is better
Pos.		Internet Users (2020s)
1=	Iceland	99%
1=	Kuwait	99%
1=	UAE	99%
	...
118	St Vincent & Grenadines	70%
119	Cuba	70%
120	Gabon	69%
121	Ghana	68%
122	Bolivia	66%
123	St Lucia	65%
124	Indonesia	65%
125	Marshall Islands	63%
	Africa Avg	41.0%
	World Avg	67.8%
q=188. Also scored for 1990s-2020s.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better65
Pos.		2017 Ratio65
1	Belgium	55.4
2	Germany	41.8
3	Switzerland	35.1
	...
100=	Nigeria	0.0
100=	Uzbekistan	0.0
100=	Colombia	0.0
100=	Ghana	0.0
100=	Yemen	0.0
100=	Laos	0.0
100=	Malta	0.0
100=	Turkmenistan	0.0
	Africa Avg	0.04
	World Avg	3.82
q=176.

Digital Quality of Life Higher is better66
Pos.		202466
1	Germany	77.9%
2	Finland	76.9%
3	France	73.9%
	...
85	Jamaica	38.9%
86	Bosnia & Herzegovina	38.8%
87	Trinidad & Tobago	38.1%
88	Ghana	37.9%
89	Kenya	37.4%
90	Sri Lanka	36.3%
91	Angola	34.9%
92	Mongolia	34.6%
	Africa Avg	32.3%
	World Avg	48.4%
q=121.

8. Ghana's Culture, Peace and Inequality

#charitability #culture #equality #human_development #inequality #peace

Compared to Africa (2025)67
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank67
1	Mauritius	48.7
2=	Seychelles	67.2
3	Tunisia	77.0
	...
7	S. Africa	84.7
8	Egypt	91.9
9	Senegal	92.9
10	Ghana	93.2
11	Namibia	95.2
12	Sao Tome & Principe	96.1
13	Kenya	96.7
14	Tanzania	97.8
15	Zambia	98.3
	Africa Avg	109.31
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2025)67
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank67
1	Denmark	10.4
2	Netherlands	11.8
3	Finland	12.2
	...
114	Egypt	91.9
115	Senegal	92.9
116	Kyrgyzstan	93.1
117	Ghana	93.2
118	Uzbekistan	93.8
119	Saudi Arabia	94.0
120	Namibia	95.2
121	Solomon Islands	95.9
	World Avg	80.47
q=183.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 39 datasets, including multiple decades of data on resisting corruption, Creativity and Culture, overall happiness, Open Trading, Aid and Development, passport utility (so far), personal financial stability, World Giving Index, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, poverty (so far), life expectancy inequality, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2026).

8.1. National Culture Datasets

#charity #corruption #freedom #happiness #internationalism #morals #politics

Corruption Higher is better68
Pos.		2022 Points68
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
73=	S. Africa	43.0
73=	Bulgaria	43.0
73=	Benin	43.0
73=	Ghana	43.0
77=	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	42.0
77=	Vietnam	42.0
77=	Trinidad & Tobago	42.0
77=	Burkina Faso	42.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180. Also scored for 1990s-2010s.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Belgium	1
2	Netherlands	2
3	Estonia	3
	...
101	Russia	101
102	Vietnam	102
103	Armenia	103
104	Ghana	104
105	Bahrain	105
106	Ecuador	106
107	Uganda	107
108	Lesotho	108
	Africa Avg	117.8
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Happiness Higher is better69
Pos.		2024 Score69
1	Finland	7.7
2	Denmark	7.5
3	Iceland	7.5
	...
122	Somalia	4.3
123	Mali	4.3
124	Cambodia	4.3
125	Ghana	4.3
126	Myanmar	4.3
127	Togo	4.3
128	Jordan	4.3
129	Liberia	4.3
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147. Also scored for 2010s.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Ireland	1
2	Denmark	2
3	Sweden	3
	...
104	Dominica	104
105	Iceland	105
106	Bolivia	106
107	Ghana	107
108	Mexico	108
109	Thailand	109
110	Ecuador	110
111	Malawi	111
	Africa Avg	96.7
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Passport Reach (2020s) Higher is better70
Pos.		Passport Reach (2020s) Q70
1	Singapore	192.2
2	Japan	192.0
3	S. Korea	190.7
	...
129	Morocco	66.5
130	Philippines	66.3
131	Armenia	65.7
132	Ghana	65.3
133	Zimbabwe	65.2
134	Sierra Leone	64.2
135=	Kyrgyzstan	63.3
135=	Cuba	63.3
	Africa Avg	62.9
	World Avg	108.8
q=195. Also scored for 2000s-2020s.

Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Higher is better71
Pos.		Personal Financial Stability in the 2020s Score71
1	Denmark	9.06
2	Switzerland	9.00
3	Finland	8.96
	...
140	Cameroon	4.90
141	Iraq	4.90
142	Turkey	4.82
143	Ghana	4.81
144	Sri Lanka	4.80
145	Gabon	4.73
146	Comoros	4.67
147	Ethiopia	4.52
	Africa Avg	5.48
	World Avg	6.46
q=165.

World Giving Index Higher is better72
Pos.		2022 %72
1	Indonesia	68.0
2	Kenya	61.0
3	USA	59.0
	...
47=	Iran	43.0
47=	Kosovo	43.0
47=	Bolivia	43.0
47=	Ghana	43.0
51=	Sweden	42.0
51=	Colombia	42.0
51=	China	42.0
51=	Ecuador	42.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125. Also scored for 2010s.

8.2. Peace Versus Instability Datasets

#extremism #human_development #peace #politics #religious_violence #terrorism

Global Peace Index Lower is better73
Pos.		2023 Score73
1	Iceland	1.12
2	Denmark	1.31
3	Ireland	1.31
	...
48	Oman	1.79
49	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	1.80
50	Uruguay	1.80
51	Ghana	1.80
52	Senegal	1.83
53	Indonesia	1.83
54	Argentina	1.84
55	Madagascar	1.85
	Africa Avg	2.29
	World Avg	2.07
q=163. Also scored for 2010s.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Samoa	1
2	S. Africa	2
3	Tunisia	3
	...
63	Kenya	63
64	Denmark	64
65	Austria	65
66	Ghana	66
67	Sweden	67
68	Congo, (Brazzaville)	68
69	Bulgaria	69
70	Zimbabwe	70
	Africa Avg	83.6
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Refugees & UN Treaties Lower is better37
Pos.		2017 Rank37
1	Austria	1
2	Germany	2
3	Netherlands	3
	...
90	Cameroon	90
91	Venezuela	91
92	Belarus	92
93	Ghana	93
94	Qatar	94
95	Peru	95
96	Gabon	96
97	Russia	97
	Africa Avg	104.5
	World Avg	82.0
q=163.

Impact of Terrorism Lower is better74
Pos.		2019 Score74
1	Togo	0.00
2	Mongolia	0.00
3	Swaziland	0.00
	...
62	Papua New Guinea	1.36
63	Bosnia & Herzegovina	1.39
64	Kyrgyzstan	1.47
65	Ghana	1.56
66	Kazakhstan	1.57
67	Austria	1.66
68	Argentina	1.68
69	Madagascar	1.96
	Africa Avg	3.41
	World Avg	2.78
q=150.

8.3. Economic Inequality and Poverty Datasets

#capitalism #economics #health #inequality #life_expectancy #poverty #social_development

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better75
Pos.		201975
1	Iceland	2.40
2=	Singapore	2.50
2=	Hong Kong	2.50
	...
144=	Djibouti	23.40
145	Papua New Guinea	24.10
146=	Zimbabwe	24.20
146=	Ghana	24.20
148=	Kiribati	24.70
148=	Yemen	24.70
150	Ethiopia	24.90
151=	Swaziland	25.10
	Africa Avg	26.10
	World Avg	14.59
q=184.

Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) Lower is better76
Pos.		2023 %76
1	Slovakia	24.1%77
2	Slovenia	24.3%77
3	Belarus	24.4%78
	...
135	Uganda	42.7%79
136=	Central African Rep.	43.0%77
136=	Chile	43.0%80
138=	Ghana	43.5%81
138=	Mexico	43.5%80
140=	St Lucia	43.7%82
140=	Rwanda	43.7%81
142	Grenada	43.8%83
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167. Also scored for 1980s-2010s.

Income inequality data is rarely available for Ghana - only for 7 years between 1980 and 2019.

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better84
Pos.		2018 Severity84
1	Armenia	.001
2	Ukraine	.001
3	Serbia	.001
	...
53	India	.123
54	Guatemala	.134
55	Zimbabwe	.137
56	Ghana	.138
57	Lesotho	.146
58	Nepal	.148
59	Cambodia	.170
60	Namibia	.171
	Africa Avg	.264
	World Avg	.154
q=101.

9. Religion and Beliefs

#buddhism #christianity #Ghana #hinduism #islam #judaism #religion #religion_in_ghana #religiosity #secularisation

Religiosity (2018)61
Pos.		Lower is better %61
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
86=	Nigeria	88
86=	Nicaragua	88
88=	Djibouti	89
88=	Ghana	89
88=	Guatemala	89
91=	Honduras	90
91=	Cameroon	90
91=	Rwanda	90
91=	Liberia	90
95=	Morocco	91
95=	Guinea-Bissau	91
95=	Philippines	91
95=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Pew Forum polling over the decades has found the following adherency rates:₈₅:

	2010	2020
Christian	71.1%	71.3%
Muslim	17.7%	19.9%
Other	5.97%	7.77%
Unaffiliated	5.27%	1.07%
Jewish	None	None
Hindu	None	None
Buddhist	None	None

The CIA World Factbook has slightly different data, and states: Christian 71.2% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 28.3%, Protestant 18.4%, Catholic 13.1%, other 11.4%), Muslim 17.6%, traditional 5.2%, other 0.8%, none 5.2% (2010 census)₈₆.

Freedom of Religion and Belief: Ghana's Constitution protects "freedom of thought, conscience and belief", protects religious freedom, and prohibits discrimination based on religion.₂₈. However, the State itself causes some indirect discrimination by directly funding and supporting specific Christian and Muslim institutions, and religious leaders are seen to have undue influence on the Government₂₈.

“In 2019, a constitutional challenge against the construction of the National Cathedral [on 14 acres of state land next to Parliament] and the setting up of the Hajj board [which pays for Muslims to go on the Hajj pilgrimage] was brought by a local politician, James Bomfeh, who argued that both measures are a violation of the [...] duty of the State to respect equality and uphold religious neutrality.

Bomfeh's case was dismissed by the Supreme Court, who found that the Constitution did not specifically prohibit the Government from "supporting, assisting or cooperating with religious groups."”

"The Freedom of Thought Report" by Humanists International (2021)₂₈.

Links:

• A List of All Religions and Belief Systems
• Secularisation Theory: Will Modern Society Reject Religion? What is Secularism?
• Human Rights and Freedom in Ghana: 4.3. Freedom of Thought