Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson has claimed that nearly one million Ghanaians moved out of multidimensional poverty within one year, citing the development as evidence of improving living conditions under the government.
Presenting the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review to Parliament on Thursday, Dr Ato Forson said the multidimensional poverty rate declined from 24.9% in the third quarter of 2024 to 21.9% during the same period in 2025.
“This simply means that about 950,000 Ghanaians moved out of multidimensional poverty in just one year,” Dr Forson said.
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He explained that multidimensional poverty goes beyond income levels and measures deprivation across several areas, including living conditions, education, health and employment.
“Behind these statistics are the hundreds of thousands of families who now enjoy better living conditions and greater hope for the future,” the Finance Minister added.
Dr Forson also pointed to improvements in other key economic indicators as evidence of what he described as Ghana’s economic turnaround.
He said inflation had fallen sharply from 23.8% in December 2024 to 5.3% as of June 2026. Inflation, he noted, ended 2025 at 5.4% before easing further to 5.3% by June 2026.
The Finance Minister described the decline in inflation as “the clearest story of all” in demonstrating the progress made in stabilising the Ghanaian economy.
He further disclosed that unemployment declined from 13.7% in the first three quarters of 2024 to 12.8% over the same period in 2025.
Dr Forson said Ghana had also achieved its statutory debt target of 45% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), ahead of both the timeline under the International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme and the government’s own target date.
The Finance Minister’s presentation forms part of the government’s assessment of the country’s economic performance and outlook during the 2026 Mid-Year Fiscal Policy Review.
The figures, he said, point to an economy that is gradually recovering, with lower inflation, improved employment figures, reduced multidimensional poverty and progress on public debt.