The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) says the reduction in the housing shortfall has not eliminated challenges relating to the availability and distribution of homes and essential services, particularly amid the country’s growing urban population.
The figures are contained in Ghana in Numbers, 2025, a flagship publication released by the Service on November 2. The report brings together key population, housing and basic-service indicators to support development planning.
According to the publication, the 2021 Population and Housing Census recorded about 10 million dwelling units, while the estimated housing deficit stood at approximately 1.8 million units.
The GSS cautioned, however, that the deficit was an estimate based on the number of homes required and available. It does not, on its own, measure housing quality, affordability or the number of vacant homes.
Basic-service gaps persist
Despite improvements in access to essential services over the years, the report identifies significant gaps in household access to electricity and improved sanitation.
The proportion of households with electricity increased from 43.8 per cent in 2000 to 86.3 per cent in 2021.
Access to improved drinking water also rose from 60.7 per cent to 92 per cent over the same period, while access to improved sanitation increased from 44.8 per cent in 2010 to 69 per cent in 2022.
Nevertheless, about one in seven households still lacks electricity, while almost one in three does not have access to an improved toilet.
The report further indicates that 30.8 per cent of Ghana’s urban population lives in slums or informal settlements, highlighting the uneven living conditions faced by many urban residents.
Smaller households, rising housing needs
The GSS also reported that the average household size had declined to 3.6 people, the lowest level recorded.
It explained that smaller household sizes could increase the number of homes required, even if population growth slows, as more households would need separate accommodation.
The trend has implications for housing demand and urban planning, particularly as the country’s urban population continues to expand.
According to the report, about 19.8 million people, representing 58.7 per cent of Ghana’s population, lived in urban areas in 2025.
Ghana became more urban than rural in 2010, when 12.55 million people lived in urban areas, compared with 12.11 million in rural communities.
By 2021, the urban population had increased to 17.47 million, while the rural population stood at 13.36 million.
GSS urges localised planning
Government Statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, said the statistics should guide decisions on the provision of housing and essential services at the community level.
“Use local figures, not national averages, to decide where the next cedi goes, because averages hide differences,” he said.
He said population data should help determine “where schools, clinics and homes must go”, emphasising the importance of using local evidence to identify communities with the greatest needs.
The Service said district-level figures could help policymakers identify areas where gaps in housing, water, sanitation, electricity and other essential services were most pronounced.
The Ghana in Numbers, 2025 publication and related district data are available through the GSS website, StatsBank, the Ghana in Numbers web portal and the GSS Stats App.
