Ghana’s household registry now profiles 11.24 million people for social protection targeting

The Ghana National Household Registry now contains information on over 11.24 million individuals across the country, providing the government with a comprehensive national database to identify households in need of social protection support. Gender, Children and Social Protection Minister Dr Agnes Naa Momo Lartey announced that data collection for the registry has been completed in all 16 regions, encompassing 2,906,288 households.

Among these, 508,870 households have been classified as extremely poor and are prioritized for targeted assistance. Dr Lartey highlighted the registry as the foundation of Ghana's social protection system, particularly in light of the recently enacted Social Protection Act, which mandates a coordinated strategy for identifying and supporting vulnerable populations.

She emphasized that for the first time, Ghana possesses a single, dependable national database to effectively target social protection initiatives. The minister mentioned that the registry will be shared with various institutions and development partners who aim to implement social protection programs for the most vulnerable groups.

Additionally, the registry plays a crucial role in reassessing and expanding LEAP, a social protection program that has expanded its program scope from 350,000 to 450,000 households. The government views the registry as an essential tool for evidence-based planning and decision-making in the social protection sector.