Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) in Ghana
Ghana: Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) was 1.7% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Total debt service in Ghana, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in % of GNI.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 1.7% for total debt service in 2023.
The figure is down 73.6% on the previous year and up 21.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total debt service in Ghana peaked at 14.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 1973.
That places Ghana 94th out of 119 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of GNI | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.4% | — |
| 1971 | 2.4% | +1.3% |
| 1972 | 1.6% | -34.6% |
| 1973 | 1.1% | -30.6% |
| 1974 | 1.1% | +5.4% |
| 1975 | 2.1% | +82.3% |
| 1976 | 1.9% | -9.2% |
| 1977 | 1.2% | -36.9% |
| 1978 | 2.0% | +69.6% |
| 1979 | 2.6% | +27.8% |
| 1980 | 3.6% | +39.0% |
| 1981 | 2.8% | -21.6% |
| 1982 | 2.8% | -2.0% |
| 1983 | 3.6% | +30.9% |
| 1984 | 3.0% | -15.7% |
| 1985 | 3.6% | +18.3% |
| 1986 | 4.1% | +12.8% |
| 1987 | 8.4% | +106.9% |
| 1988 | 10.8% | +28.1% |
| 1989 | 8.8% | -17.9% |
| 1990 | 6.4% | -27.9% |
| 1991 | 4.7% | -27.0% |
| 1992 | 5.1% | +8.7% |
| 1993 | 5.3% | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 6.9% | +31.4% |
| 1995 | 6.4% | -7.3% |
| 1996 | 7.1% | +10.9% |
| 1997 | 8.3% | +16.4% |
| 1998 | 7.9% | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 7.0% | -12.3% |
| 2000 | 9.7% | +38.8% |
| 2001 | 6.0% | -38.0% |
| 2002 | 3.7% | -38.7% |
| 2003 | 6.7% | +82.8% |
| 2004 | 3.2% | -52.5% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 1.6% | -51.7% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | -25.0% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | -8.7% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | +25.1% |
| 2010 | 1.5% | +7.7% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | -7.8% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | +79.6% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -42.3% |
| 2014 | 5.0% | +251.4% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | -47.7% |
| 2016 | 8.5% | +229.4% |
| 2017 | 11.0% | +28.3% |
| 2018 | 6.2% | -43.4% |
| 2019 | 14.7% | +136.9% |
| 2020 | 3.8% | -73.9% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | +40.8% |
| 2022 | 6.5% | +20.0% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | -73.6% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 1.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.8%, 45% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 1.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 3.0%, 58% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Total debt service (% of GNI) (UNESCO Institute) in Ghana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +251.4% | 1.4% | 5.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.8% | 1.1% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 5.2% | 2.8% | 10.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 6.5% | 4.7% | 8.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.8% | 1.1% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 1.4% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.4% | 1.7% | 6.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 91 Turkmenistan 1.9% compare
- 92 Solomon Islands 1.8% compare
- 93 Madagascar 1.7% compare
- 95 Guatemala 1.7% compare
- 96 Burundi 1.7% compare
- 97 Iraq 1.7% compare
More population data for Ghana
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1514 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1514 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2469 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 52,232 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.76 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5066 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population growth rate 0.141 (2100)
- Population density 296.87 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 4.28 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total debt service in Ghana?
- Total debt service in Ghana was 1.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total debt service recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 14.7% in 2019.
- What is the lowest total debt service recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 1973.
- How does Ghana rank for total debt service?
- Ghana ranks 94th out of 119 countries with data for 2023.
- Is total debt service rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total debt service (% of GNI). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release