BY Daniel Bampoe
A damning new report by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has revealed that over 4.8 million Ghanaians—nearly one in three urban residents—are living in slum conditions, highlighting a deepening housing and infrastructure crisis in the country’s urban centers.
The “Slums and Informal Settlements Thematic Report,” launched on Monday in Accra, draws from the 2021 Population and Housing Census and paints a sobering picture of urban deprivation.
According to the findings, 30.8% of Ghana’s urban population suffers from at least one major form of deprivation: lack of clean water, poor sanitation, inadequate housing, or severe overcrowding.
A National Mirror of Inequality and Neglect
Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, in presenting the report, described the data as “a mirror held up to our cities, our policies, and ultimately, our priorities.”
He emphasized that 46.1% of all urban households—more than 2.2 million families—experience some form of deprivation, while an alarming percentage endure multiple hardships simultaneously.
“These are not abstract statistics,” Iddrisu stressed. “They are the daily realities of Ghanaians doing their best in circumstances they did not choose.”
The report employs a refined definition of a slum household—one that lacks improved drinking water, sanitation, durable housing materials, or adequate living space (more than three people per room).
Regional Breakdown: Northeast and Northern Ghana in Crisis
The crisis is not evenly distributed. The Northeast Region leads with the highest slum prevalence at 79.1%, followed by the Northern (4.2%), Savannah (3.6%), and Oti (1.1%) regions, which recorded neighbourhoods suffering all four core deprivations.
Even in relatively developed areas like Greater Accra and Ashanti, slum dwellers struggle with unaffordable rent and poor infrastructure, with over 50% of them living in rented accommodation.
Professor Stephen Owusu Kwankye, lead discussant of the report, noted that slums are not merely a rural-urban migration issue but a manifestation of systemic service delivery failures, inadequate planning, and historical neglect by successive governments.
Shocking Gaps
The report goes further to outline the dire consequences of slum living on health, education, and economic well-being.
The non-literacy rate in slums (30.8%) is more than double that of non-slum areas (14.0%), while multidimensional poverty affects 23.4% of slum dwellers, compared to 10.5% elsewhere.
Health outcomes are equally troubling. Slum areas record 42 deaths per 10,000 people, significantly higher than the national urban average of 31, indicating limited access to healthcare and clean environment.
The GSS also introduced a new classification for urban localities—“Urban-2”—based on population, access to electricity, potable water, schools, and health facilities. Worryingly, only 9.9% of Ghana’s 17,989 localities currently meet the criteria for this status.
Urgent Call for Slum Upgrading and Housing Reform
In response to the findings, Dr Evans Aggrey-Darko, Head of the Civil Service, warned that failure to act could “lock another generation into poverty.”
He urged government ministries, metropolitan assemblies, and the private sector to prioritize slum upgrading and invest in affordable housing, sanitation, and infrastructure.
Iddrisu echoed this call, urging all stakeholders to make slum redevelopment a core component of national planning.
“Every slum we transform brings us closer to the inclusive, safe cities Ghanaians deserve,” he stated.
A Crisis Decades in the Making
Ghana’s urbanization has surged over the last three decades. With rural-to-urban migration accelerating, especially among youth, the pressure on urban infrastructure has outpaced the state’s response.
Many city neighborhoods have grown organically—without proper layout, drainage, or amenities—creating vast informal settlements on the fringes of cities like Accra, Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi.
Despite various housing policies and the existence of the Ministry of Works and Housing, budgetary allocations, enforcement of building codes, and slum clearance efforts have often lacked continuity or political will.
Way Forward: Cross-Sector Collaboration and Political Commitment
Experts say solving Ghana’s slum crisis will require a multisectoral strategy involving the Ministries of Local Government, Works and Housing, Sanitation, and Health, along with local assemblies, urban planners, civil society, and private investors.
Public-private partnerships in housing, land reforms to legalize and service informal settlements, and expanded access to basic utilities are seen as key interventions.
Slum upgrading, as opposed to demolition, is now the recommended model globally.
