Ghana — Health spending
Health Spending (% of GDP) for Ghana, 2000–2023.
Health spending for Ghana was 2.95% in 2023, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 24 years, from 2000 to 2023. The highest recorded value was 4.59% in 2013. The lowest was 1.66% in 2000 (about 1.8× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 2.52% per year.
Ghana ranks 174 of 189 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 92%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 4.48%, so Ghana sits below it. It peaked in 2013 and has fallen 36% since. Over the last decade (2013–2023) the figure moved down 36%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 41 of 46 economies; Zimbabwe (2.93%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 38% in 2005. That is 19% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
From its 2000 level: doubled by 2006. Doubling roughly every 28 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 181st of 184 in 2000 → 133rd of 188 in 2010 → 148th of 189 in 2020 → 173rd of 188 in 2023.
Key figures
Full history — 2000 to 2023
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2.95% | -0.7 pp |
| 2022 | 3.67% | -0.2 pp |
| 2021 | 3.86% | -0.6 pp |
| 2020 | 4.43% | +1.2 pp |
| 2019 | 3.25% | +0.8 pp |
| 2018 | 2.43% | -0.3 pp |
| 2017 | 2.69% | -0.7 pp |
| 2016 | 3.39% | -1.2 pp |
| 2015 | 4.54% | +0.5 pp |
| 2014 | 4.02% | -0.6 pp |
| 2013 | 4.59% | +0.7 pp |
| 2012 | 3.93% | -0.5 pp |
| 2011 | 4.46% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 4.52% | +0.3 pp |
| 2009 | 4.18% | +0.5 pp |
| 2008 | 3.73% | +0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 3.71% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 3.67% | +0.4 pp |
| 2005 | 3.27% | +0.9 pp |
| 2004 | 2.37% | +0.2 pp |
| 2003 | 2.15% | +0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 1.95% | +0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 1.87% | +0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 1.66% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Ghana’s Health spending in 2001?
1.87% (2001). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of GDP, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Ghana’s Health spending growing or shrinking?
Between 2000 and 2023 the series was growing overall: +77.2% in total — about 2.5% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2023: 2.95%; 2022: 3.67%; 2021: 3.86%; 2020: 4.43%; 2019: 3.25%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SH.XPD.CHEX.GD.ZS — Health Spending (% of GDP). Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.