Ghana (Republic of Ghana)

Ghana Republic of Ghana
Status	Independent State
Social and Moral Index	101st 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
6. Ghana's Responsibility Towards The Environment
7. Ghana's Modernity and Learning
8. Ghana's Culture, Peace and Inequality
9. Religion and Beliefs
10. Links

---

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	29.1
2	Norway	32.3
3	Sweden	34.1
	...
98	Belarus	90.0
99	Kuwait	90.5
100	Kazakhstan	90.7
101	Ghana	90.7
102	Fiji	91.1
103	Russia	91.4
104	St Kitts & Nevis	91.6
105	St Lucia	92.0
	Africa Avg	119.0
	World Avg	88.9
q=199.

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:

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. The highest fertility rate ever detected in a single year was in Yemen in 1985, at 8.86.₁₃

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.

Fertility Rate 2.0 is best14
Pos.		202214
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.

Old-Age Dependency Ratio Lower is better15
Pos.		2016 Per 10015
1	Uganda	04.3
2	Mali	04.5
3=	Chad	04.7
	...
35	Mozambique	06.4
36=	Madagascar	06.4
36=	Papua New Guinea	06.4
38	Ghana	06.5
39=	Palestine	06.5
40	Ethiopia	06.6
41=	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:

Immigrants16
Pos.		2017 %16
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.

Emigrants17
Pos.		2010 %17
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)18
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank18
1	Sweden	6.1
2	Denmark	8.6
3	Norway	9.0
	...
103	Sri Lanka	89.6
104	Thailand	90.0
105	Guyana	90.6
106	Ghana	92.3
107	India	93.0
108	Nicaragua	93.2
	Africa Avg	110.04
	World Avg	86.55
q=199.

Ghana is generally poor at ensuring human rights and freedom compared to the rest of the world. Ghana comes in the best 20 for its success in fighting anti-semitic prejudice₁₉ (one of the lowest in Africa). It does better than average in terms of supporting press freedom₂₀, its average Freedom in the World rating, supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms₂₁ (one of the lowest in Africa) and in its nominal commitment to Human Rights₂₂. But, things still need to improve in Ghana. Ghana does worse than average in terms of eliminating modern slavery₂₃ (still good for Africa), freethought₂₄, opposing gender inequality₂₅ (still low for Africa) and in LGBT equality₂₆. And finally, it falls into the worst 20 for 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

#alcohol #birth_control #demographics #ghana #health #life_expectancy #longevity #obesity #overpopulation #parenting #population #smoking #vaccines

Compared to Africa (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Mauritius	71.9
2	Tunisia	75.6
3	Morocco	88.2
	...
11	Botswana	118.5
12	Sao Tome & Principe	121.3
13	Lesotho	121.4
14=	Ghana	121.8
14=	S. Africa	121.8
16	Burundi	122.8
17	Gambia	124.0
18	Madagascar	126.0
19	Ethiopia	126.3
	Africa Avg	111.13
q=54.

Health (2025)29
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank29
1	Monaco	14.3
2	Liechtenstein	30.1
3	Isle of Man	32.1
	...
154	Sao Tome & Principe	121.3
155	Lesotho	121.4
156	Palau	121.6
157=	Ghana	121.8
157=	S. Africa	121.8
159	Burundi	122.8
160	Belize	122.8
161	Gambia	124.0
	World Avg	97.60
q=213.

The countries with the best overall approach to public health, in terms of both public policy and individual lifestyle choices, are Monaco, Liechtenstein and The Isle of Man₃₀. These countries are worth emulating. And, although often through no fault of the average citizen, the worst countries are The Cook Islands, The Marshall Islands and Niue₃₀.

25 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 and its immunizations take-up. The regions with the best average results per country are Scandinavia, Europe and The Balkans₃₀, whereas the worst are Micronesia, Africa and Australasia₃₀.

For more, see:

• "Countries With the Healthiest Cultures and Health Policies" by Vexen Crabtree (2020).

Health:

Ghana has some poor policies and cultural issues which cause some public health problems. Ghana does better than average for its smoking rate₃₁, the prevalence of overweight adults₃₂ (but bad for Africa) and in its alcohol consumption rate₃₃. Ghana doesn't do so well in other areas. Ghana does worse than average in terms of its immunizations take-up₃₄ (still high for Africa), its food aid and health contributions and WHO compliance₃₅, its adolescent birth rate₃₆ (still low for Africa), its average life expectancy₁₁ (still good for Africa) and in its fertility rate₁₄ (still low for Africa). The number of overweight adults has increased by 14% between 1976 and 2016. 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.

Alcohol Consumption Lower is better33
Pos.		2016 Per Capita33
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 best14
Pos.		202214
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.

Smoking Rates Lower is better31
Pos.		201431
1	Guinea	15
2	Solomon Islands	26
3	Kiribati	28
	...
26	Haiti	114
27	Peru	116
28	Somalia	117
29	Ghana	121
30	Benin	122
31	Zimbabwe	134
32	Mauritania	135
33	Bhutan	155
	Africa Avg	340
	World Avg	819
q=182.

Food Aid, Health Contributions & WHO Compliance Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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 better32
Pos.		1976 %32
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 better37
Pos.		2022 %37
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.

Children's Health:

Adolescent Birth Rate Lower is better36
Pos.		2022 Per 100036
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.

Infant Immunizations 2011-2015 Higher is better34
Pos.		2015 Avg %34
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
111=	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.

6. Ghana's Responsibility Towards The Environment

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

Compared to Africa (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
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	80.07
q=53.

Responsibility Towards The Environment (2025)38
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank38
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"₃₉. 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 ranks 25th in the world regarding its responsibility towards the environment. This is calculated from 21 data sets. Ghana does better than average in its sign-up rate to major international accords on protecting the environment, reducing annual meat consumption per person₄₀, energy to GDP efficiency₄₁ and in the rate of rational beliefs on the environment in the population₄₂. Ghana does not succeed in everything, however. Ghana does worse than average in terms of its environmental performance₄₃ (still high for Africa) and in its forested percent change 2000-2020₄₄. And finally, it sits amongst the bottom 20 in its score on the Green Future Index₄₅ (amongst the lowest in Africa).

Environmental Performance Higher is better43
Pos.		201843
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 better41
Pos.		2022 Avg41
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.

International Accords on the Environment Higher is better
Pos.		Total 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.

Rational Beliefs on the Environment Higher is better42
Pos.		2011 %42
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 better40
Pos.		2021 kg40
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.

Green Future Index Higher is better45
Pos.		2023 Score45
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.

7. Ghana's Modernity and Learning

#education #intelligence #modernity #religion #religiosity #research #science #secularisation #technology #the_internet

Compared to Africa (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	S. Africa	56.9
2	Tunisia	70.8
3=	Mauritius	79.6
	...
10	Algeria	100.2
11	Gabon	108.2
12	Uganda	109.8
13	Ghana	110.3
14	Nigeria	111.1
15	Zimbabwe	111.6
16	Cape Verde	113.3
17	Namibia	113.4
18	Cameroon	114.2
	Africa Avg	120.19
q=53.

Modernity & Learning (2020)46
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank46
1	Finland	7.1
2	Belgium	12.9
3	Denmark	13.6
	...
122	Gabon	108.2
123	El Salvador	109.2
124	Uganda	109.8
125	Ghana	110.3
126	Nigeria	111.1
127	Marshall Islands	111.1
128	Zimbabwe	111.6
129	Cape Verde	113.3
	World Avg	86.31
q=190.

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, Belgium and Denmark₄₇. The worst countries are Eritrea, S. Sudan and Sierra Leone₄₇. Despite improves in global education, access to tertiary (adult) education is becoming increasingly unequal between the rich haves and the poor have-nots₄₈.

“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)₄₉

15 datasets are used to calculate points for each country, including multiple decades of data on Research and Development, Secondary Education, Length of Schooling, Intellectual Endeavours, Maths, Science & Reading, Religiosity, IQ, 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 Europe₄₇, whereas the worst are Melanesia, Africa and Micronesia₄₇.

For more, see:

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

Modernity and Education:

Research & Development Higher is better
Pos.		2016 % RDP PPP
1	S. Korea	4.2950
2	Israel	4.1150
3	Japan	3.5850
	...
71=	Romania	0.3850
71=	Montenegro	0.3851
71=	Chile	0.3850
71=	Ghana	0.3852
75	Moldova	0.3551
76	Ecuador	0.3453
77	Bosnia & Herzegovina	0.3351
78	Iran	0.3152
	Africa Avg	0.36
	World Avg	0.84
q=126.

Secondary Education Higher is better54
Pos.		201854
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 better55
Pos.		2021 Years55
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.

Intellectual Endeavours Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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.

Religiosity Lower is better56
Pos.		2018 %56
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
86=	Nigeria	88
86=	Nicaragua	88
88	Djibouti	89
89=	Ghana	89
89=	Guatemala	89
91	Honduras	90
92=	Cameroon	90
92=	Rwanda	90
	Africa Avg	87.0
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

IQ Higher is better57
Pos.		200657
1=	Hong Kong	108
1=	Singapore	108
3	S. Korea	106
	...
108=	S. Africa	72
109	Zambia	71
110=	Jamaica	71
110=	Ghana	71
112	Namibia	70
113=	Togo	70
113=	Botswana	70
113=	Rwanda	70
	Africa Avg	70.6
	World Avg	85.6
q=138.

Technology and Information:

Internet Users Higher is better58
Pos.		201658
1	Iceland	100%
2	Faroe Islands	99%
3	Norway	98%
	...
133	Syria	30%
134	Sri Lanka	29%
135	Samoa	29%
136	Ghana	28%
137	Swaziland	28%
138	Guatemala	27%
139	Sudan	26%
140	Sao Tome & Principe	26%
	Africa Avg	18.4%
	World Avg	48.1%
q=201.

IPv6 Uptake Higher is better59
Pos.		2017 Ratio59
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 better60
Pos.		202460
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

#capitalism #charitability #charity #corruption #culture #economics #equality #extremism #happiness #health #human_development #inequality #life_expectancy #morals #peace #politics #poverty #religious_violence #social_development #terrorism

Compared to Africa (2020)61
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank61
1	Mauritius	48.3
2	Sao Tome & Principe	67.7
3	Tunisia	74.9
4	Ghana	75.4
5	Seychelles	76.7
6	Morocco	77.0
7	Senegal	79.9
8	Botswana	83.3
9	S. Africa	84.8
10	Algeria	86.2
11	Namibia	87.3
12	Zambia	88.5
13	Cape Verde	90.8
	Africa Avg	101.84
q=53.

Culture, Peace & Inequality (2020)61
Pos.		Lower is better Avg Rank61
1	Denmark	11.2
2	Norway	13.9
3	Netherlands	14.4
	...
69	Tunisia	74.9
70	Maldives	75.1
71	Macedonia	75.2
72	Ghana	75.4
73	Kazakhstan	75.8
74	Vietnam	76.6
75	Seychelles	76.7
76	Philippines	76.8
	World Avg	78.12
q=180.

This is the final pillar of the Social and Moral Development Index; it has 22 datasets, including multiple decades of data on World Giving Index, resisting corruption, overall happiness, Creativity and Culture, Open Trading, Aid and Development, its Global Peace Index rating, Peacekeeping and Security, Refugees and UN Treaties, the impact of terrorism, Inequality in Life Expectancy, Income Inequality (Gini Coefficient) and Multidimensional Poverty.

For more, see:

• "Which are the Countries for International Contributions, Creativity, Peace and Inequality?" by Vexen Crabtree (2025).

National Culture:

World Giving Index Higher is better62
Pos.		2022 %62
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
52=	Colombia	42.0
52=	China	42.0
52=	Ecuador	42.0
	Africa Avg	38.2
	World Avg	39.6
q=125.

Corruption Higher is better63
Pos.		2022 Points63
1	Denmark	90.0
2=	Finland	87.0
2=	New Zealand	87.0
	...
73	S. Africa	43.0
74=	Bulgaria	43.0
74=	Benin	43.0
74=	Ghana	43.0
77	Timor-Leste (E. Timor)	42.0
78=	Vietnam	42.0
78=	Trinidad & Tobago	42.0
78=	Burkina Faso	42.0
	Africa Avg	32.31
	World Avg	42.98
q=180.

Happiness Higher is better64
Pos.		2024 Score64
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 (Burma)	4.3
127	Togo	4.3
128	Jordan	4.3
129	Liberia	4.3
	Africa Avg	4.42
	World Avg	5.58
q=147.

Creativity & Culture Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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.

Open Trading, Aid & Development Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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.

Peace Versus Instability:

Global Peace Index Lower is better65
Pos.		2023 Score65
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.

Peacekeeping & Security Lower is better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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 better35
Pos.		2017 Rank35
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 better66
Pos.		2019 Score66
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.

Economic Inequality and Poverty:

Inequality in Life Expectancy Lower is better67
Pos.		201967
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
149=	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 better68
Pos.		2023 %68
1	Slovakia	24.1%69
2	Slovenia	24.3%69
3	Belarus	24.4%70
	...
135	Uganda	42.7%71
136=	Central African Rep.	43.0%69
136=	Chile	43.0%72
138	Ghana	43.5%73
139=	Mexico	43.5%72
140	St Lucia	43.7%74
141=	Rwanda	43.7%73
142	Grenada	43.8%75
	Africa Avg	40.7%
	World Avg	36.5%
q=167.

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

Multidimensional Poverty Lower is better76
Pos.		2018 Severity76
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

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

Religiosity (2018)56
Pos.		Lower is better %56
1	China	3
2	Estonia	6
3	Czechia	7
	...
86=	Nigeria	88
86=	Nicaragua	88
88	Djibouti	89
89=	Ghana	89
89=	Guatemala	89
91	Honduras	90
92=	Cameroon	90
92=	Rwanda	90
92=	Liberia	90
95	Morocco	91
96=	Guinea-Bissau	91
96=	Philippines	91
96=	Zambia	91
99	Afghanistan	92
100=	Burkina Faso	93
100=	Tanzania	93
	World Avg	54.3
q=106.

Disbelief In God (2007)77
Pos.		Higher is better %77
1	Vietnam	81
2	Japan	65
3	Sweden	64
	...
108=	Haiti	0
108=	Iraq	0
108=	Guinea	0
108=	Ghana	0
108=	Jordan	0
108=	Gambia	0
108=	Kenya	0
108=	Ethiopia	0
108=	Afghanistan	0
108=	Egypt	0
108=	Liberia	0
108=	Libya	0
108=	Ivory Coast	0
108=	Pakistan	0
108=	Niger	0
108=	Saudi Arabia	0
	World Avg	9.9
q=137.

Data from the Pew Forum, a professional polling outfit, states that in 2010 the religious makeup of this country was as follows in the table below₇₈:

Christian	74.9%
Muslim	15.8%
Hindu	0.1%
Buddhist	0.1%
Folk Religion	4.9%
Jewish	0.1%
Unaffiliated	4.2%

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)₇₉.

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