Ghana ranks 18th in Sub-Saharan Africa in terms of total revenue-to-GDP ratio
A sample of 25 Sub-Saharan African countries and the sizes of their total revenue and grants-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratios in 2022 placed Ghana in the 18th position. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), Ghana’s revenue-to-GDP ratio is estimated at 15.7%. This is compared with the Sub-Saharan African average of 20.1%. Namibia recorded […]
In 2022, Ghana ranked 18th among 25 Sub-Saharan African countries in terms of total revenue-to-GDP ratio, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). Ghana's revenue-to-GDP ratio was estimated at 15.7%, compared to the Sub-Saharan African average of 20.1%. Namibia had the highest revenue-to-GDP ratio in the region at 31.3%, followed by Seychelles at 30.0% and Botswana at 29.5%.
Ghana's revenue mobilisation is significantly weaker than its peers in Africa, as its revenue fell far short of the average. The IFS noted that while the average total revenue and grants-to-GDP ratio for the 25 countries was 20.1%, Ghana's was only 15.7%, ranking 4.4 percentage points below the average.
The low revenue-to-GDP ratio implies that the Ghanaian government collected far less revenue than its potential. In 2022, Ghana collected GHȻ96.65 billion in total revenue and grants, equivalent to US$11.68 billion. However, if Ghana's revenue-to-GDP ratio matched the Sub-Saharan African average, it would have collected an additional US$3.25 billion. The IFS further suggested that if Ghana's ratio were as high as Botswana's 29.5%, it would have collected an additional US$10.23 billion.
Even in 2025, Ghana's revenue-to-GDP ratio remains at 15.7%, with total revenue and grants amounting to GHȻ224.88 billion or US$17.91 billion.
Written by urgent.news from Adom Online's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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