A new publication by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that nearly one in every three households in the country resides in slums or informal settlements.
Titled “The Slums and Informal Settlements Report”, the study shows that 29.5 percent of Ghanaian households translating to roughly 4.8 million people live under conditions deemed substandard in terms of housing and urban planning.
Launching the report, Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu described the findings as a wake-up call for Ghanaian policymakers. He stressed the importance of coordinated action, especially at the district and municipal levels, to address the deepening inequalities within urban spaces. According to him, the findings should directly inform local budget planning and development frameworks.
The data uncovered significant regional disparities, with the Greater Accra Region topping the list where 52.5 percent of slum dwellers live in rented accommodation, followed closely by the Ashanti Region at 51.8 percent. Other regions recorded considerably lower figures, pointing to a concentration of slum conditions in the country’s most populated areas.
The report also noted demographic shifts in slum communities, highlighting that women aged 15 to 49 living in these areas tend to have more children than those in formal urban settings.
The total fertility rate among women in slums stood at 2.9 percent, compared to 2.5 percent in non-slum areas. Regionally, the Northern Region had the highest fertility rate at 4.1 percent, while the Greater Accra Region recorded the lowest at 2.3 percent.
Despite the country’s growing urbanization, the study found that only about 10 percent of localities in Ghana are officially classified as urban. However, slum conditions remain widespread, with 46 percent of all households exhibiting at least one slum characteristic.
Additionally, 34.1 percent of neighborhoods and 26.6 percent of localities meet the formal criteria for slum classification.
The GSS is calling for urgent reforms in housing and urban policy in response to the findings. The report recommends targeted investments in housing, sanitation, reproductive health, and social services as a means to curb the growth of slums and improve living conditions for affected populations.
“This data must not be shelved. It should inform how we plan, allocate resources, and intervene at the local level to reduce disparities,” Dr. Iddrisu urged.
Source: Winston Tackie
