Food insecurity in Ghana has intensified, with more than a third of the population now facing hunger-related risks, according to the latest Quarterly Food Insecurity Report released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
Covering the period from the first quarter of 2024 to the third quarter of 2025, the report shows that national food insecurity prevalence rose from 35.3 per cent in early 2024 to 38.1 per cent by the third quarter of 2025. The situation peaked at 41.1 per cent in the second quarter of 2025 before easing marginally in the most recent quarter, pointing to a volatile but generally upward trend.
Speaking at the launch of the report, Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu cautioned against viewing food insecurity solely as a social issue, stressing its far-reaching economic and developmental consequences.
Food insecurity is not just a social issue. It affects household welfare, child health, labour productivity, business confidence and ultimately national development,” he said.
Dr. Iddrisu explained that the quarterly assessment directly supports Ghana’s development agenda and Sustainable Development Goal Two, which aims to end hunger, improve nutrition and promote sustainable food systems. He noted that the frequent release of the data is intended to provide timely and credible evidence to guide policy decisions and interventions by government, the private sector, communities and development partners.
The report is based on the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES), an internationally recognised tool aligned with SDG Indicator 2.1.2. Using eight experience-based questions, the survey captures households’ food-related experiences over a three-month period, ranging from anxiety about food availability to extreme deprivation. Responses are analysed using the Rasch statistical model to classify households as food secure, moderately food insecure or severely food insecure. Data are drawn from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, enabling food insecurity to be tracked every three months rather than annually.
Beyond national averages, the findings reveal stark inequalities across education, gender, household composition and geography. Food insecurity declined sharply with higher levels of education, with households headed by individuals without formal education recording an average prevalence of about 50 per cent, compared to just 15 per cent among those headed by persons with tertiary education. Female-headed households, especially in rural areas, were significantly more exposed to moderate and severe food insecurity.
Household structure also emerged as a critical factor. Households with both children and elderly members recorded food insecurity levels averaging 44 per cent in 2025, while households with poor child health outcomes faced similarly elevated risks. In rural areas, female-headed households with underweight members recorded food insecurity rates exceeding 80 per cent in the third quarter of 2025.
Regional disparities remained pronounced. The Upper West, North East, Savanna and Volta regions consistently recorded the highest food insecurity rates, while Oti and Greater Accra reported the lowest. Food insecurity in the Oti Region declined from 23.8 per cent to 18.4 per cent, even as the Volta Region recorded the highest prevalence among households with both children and elderly persons, at 52.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2025.
Analysis of individual FIES indicators showed that worrying about food was the most common experience nationwide, affecting an average of 53 per cent of households. Severe deprivation—such as going an entire day without food—remained relatively low at 3.1 per cent in the third quarter of 2025, though rural households were more likely than urban households to report eating less than they should.
In population terms, the scale of the challenge remains significant. The number of food-insecure people increased from 11.2 million in the first quarter of 2024 to a peak of 13.4 million in the second quarter of 2025, before easing slightly in the third quarter. Over the same period, the number of people experiencing the combined burden of food insecurity, multidimensional poverty and unemployment rose by 9.4 per cent, representing an additional 19,455 people between the second and third quarters of 2025.
Dr. Iddrisu noted that the findings highlight the sensitivity of food insecurity to economic conditions, seasonal patterns and unexpected shocks, warning that the overall upward trend since early 2024 signals increasing vulnerability.
The report concludes that while short-term improvements are possible, reversing the trend will require sustained, coordinated policy responses to safeguard household welfare, boost productivity and support Ghana’s long-term development goals.
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