According to the Ghana Statistical Service’s latest findings, nearly one in three households in Ghana currently resides in informal settlements or slums. That’s about 4.8 million people—an astonishing figure, highlighting a significant challenge for the country’s urban development agenda. The “Slums and Informal Settlements Report” lays out the situation in clear, unambiguous terms.
At the report’s launch, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, Government Statistician, urged policymakers to take these numbers seriously. He emphasized the need for coordinated, strategic action—particularly at the local government level—to address growing inequalities in Ghana’s urban centers. Dr. Iddrisu made it clear: this data should directly inform budget allocations, policy development, and district-level planning.
The regional breakdown is telling. The Greater Accra and Ashanti regions have the highest concentrations of slum dwellers living in rented accommodation—52.5 percent and 51.8 percent, respectively. Other regions record much lower rates, underscoring the acute nature of the issue in Ghana’s most populous areas.
Demographic trends also emerge from the data, especially among women in slum communities. Women aged 15 to 49 in these areas tend to have more children than those in non-slum urban neighborhoods. The total fertility rate in slums stands at 2.9 percent, compared to 2.5 percent outside these settlements. Notably, the Northern Region records the highest fertility rate at 4.1 percent, while Greater Accra posts the lowest at 2.3 percent.
Despite ongoing urbanization, only about 10 percent of Ghana’s localities are officially classified as urban. Slum characteristics, however, are widespread: 46 percent of households display at least one such feature, and 34.1 percent of neighborhoods, along with 26.6 percent of localities, meet the official criteria for slum classification.
The GSS report calls for urgent, targeted intervention in housing, urban planning, sanitation, family planning, and social services. Without concrete action, the expansion of slums and associated inequalities will continue to undermine Ghana’s development goals.
Dr. Iddrisu concluded by stressing the importance of acting on the report’s findings. He urged decision-makers to move beyond acknowledgment and use this data as a foundation for more effective planning and resource distribution at every level of governance.