Escaped or Trapped? The Untold Story of Ghana’s Poverty Reduction

Ghana’s economic growth and poverty reduction have been remarkable in the past few decades. However, the pace of poverty reduction has decreased since 2013. In addition, there are large differences in poverty levels across regions and socio-economic groups. People living in rural areas,those in traditional farming, and low-productivity informal sectors are vulnerable to various shocks including climate shocks, job losses, etc. The COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the situation. Its negative effects on businesses, employment, and income have led to heightened vulnerabilities for many non-poor households and poverty persistence for poor households.