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Ghana Reaches 2015 Poverty Millennium Development Goal

Ghana Reaches 2015 Poverty Millennium Development Goal

Written by Anim Kwaku Boadu | From Citi FM Online

Ghana’s poverty level has declined to about 24.2 percent from the 51 percent recorded in 1991. This means about 24.2 percent of Ghanaians measuring some 6.4 million cannot afford to spend GHS3.60 ($0.95)on food a day.

The people below the poverty line were about 7 milion in 2005. Also about 8.4 percent of the population live in extreme poverty.

This indicates they cannot afford to spend more than GHS2.17 ($0.57) on food in a day. This is according to the Ghana Living Standard survey 6 report conducted by the Ghana Statistical service (GSS). The report also revealed that Ghana has achieved goal one of the Millennium Development goals even before the target year of 2015.

The Goal requires that Ghana halves its poverty level by 2015.

The survey is aimed at providing information on the patterns of household consumption and expenditure, serve as the basis for the construction of a new basket for the next re-basing of the Consumer Price Index and also provide information for up-dating the country’s National Accounts. Ghana Living Standard Survey 6 report also revealed unemployment rate in Ghana is only at 5.2 percent.

The report considers persons aged 15 years and above as the active working population or Ghana’s labor force. The Ghana Living Standard Survey 6 indicates about 6.5 percent of the active employable population in the urban areas are unemployed while 3.9 percent of the rural are unemployed.

Also, more females than males are reported to be unemployed. Five and-a-half percent of the labor force are unemployed women, while 4.8 percent are men. The Upper East region recorded the highest level of unemployment rate of 10.8 percent while Brong Ahafo recorded the lowest rate of 2.9 percent. On the other hand about 75.4 percent of Ghana’s labor force is actively employed.

Read more at Citi FM Online