A new report by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that more than 4.8 million Ghanaians—nearly 15% of the population—are living in urban slums, where access to clean water, adequate housing, sanitation, and other basic services remains critically inadequate. The Slums and Informal Settlements Thematic Report, published as part of the 2021 Population and Housing Census analysis, paints a stark picture of worsening inequality in Ghana’s rapidly expanding urban areas. It identifies over 600 informal settlements across major cities including Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi, with overcrowding, unsafe structures, poor drainage systems, and limited access to healthcare and education.
According to the report, urban growth in Ghana has outpaced infrastructure development, creating major challenges in housing delivery, waste management, and public service provision. Most slum dwellers are engaged in low-income informal work, with limited prospects for social mobility.
The GSS urged government agencies, city authorities, and development partners to adopt a multi-sectoral approach to urban development—one that prioritizes inclusive housing policies, equitable land use, climate-resilient infrastructure, and improved governance at the local level.
The report also recommends scaling up investments in affordable housing, enhancing public-private partnerships for urban renewal, and enforcing zoning and building regulations to prevent the unchecked expansion of slums. Without immediate and targeted interventions, the report warns, urban poverty and vulnerability will deepen, exacerbating social tensions and undermining Ghana’s sustainable development goals.
