Accra: Persons with disabilities remain disproportionately affected by multidimensional poverty despite national progress in reducing deprivation, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has reported.
According to Ghana News Agency, the Multidimensional Poverty Report, covering the first quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025, showed a decline in the national poverty rate from 24.9 percent in 2024 to 21.9 percent in 2025. By the third quarter of 2025, more than seven million people were multidimensionally poor, down from 8.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Presenting the report, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, Government Statistician, said households headed by persons with disabilities experienced higher levels of deprivation in areas including health insurance, nutrition, sanitation, and employment. He noted that poverty levels were highest among households led by individuals with hearing difficulties (43 percent) and intellectual difficulties (33.6 percent).
Dr. Iddrisu explained that multidimensional poverty measured deprivation across living conditions, health, education, and employment, using indicators such as housing, water, sanitation, electricity, school attendance, nutrition, and health insurance coverage. He highlighted that the situation was compounded by factors such as rural residence, low educational attainment, and informal employment.
Dr. Iddrisu emphasized that inclusive policies were required to ensure that poverty reduction efforts benefited all segments of the population. He recalled that persons with disabilities constituted about eight percent of the population, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census.
Despite the overall decline in poverty levels, Dr. Iddrisu noted that households headed by persons with disabilities remained at risk of exclusion. He stressed that achieving the Sustainable Development Goal target of halving poverty by 2030 would require placing persons with disabilities at the center of policy interventions.
While social programs such as Free Senior High School, the Capitation Grant, and the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty program were making an impact, Dr. Iddrisu called for scaling up targeted support. He recommended expanded health insurance coverage, accessible education and skills training, and improved housing and sanitation facilities for persons with disabilities.