The latest report by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Slums and Informal Settlements in Ghana, has once again brought to the fore a critical development issue—the alarming spread of slums across the country.
This issue demands urgent and sustained attention from the government, development partners, civil society, and all Ghanaians concerned with equity and human dignity.
According to the report, about 4.82 million Ghanaians, representing 30.8 per cent of the urban population live in slum conditions. Even more alarming is the fact that 46.1 per cent of urban households (approximately 2.2 million) exhibit at least one of the five internationally accepted slum characteristics: lack of improved water, sanitation, durable housing, sufficient space, or security of tenure.
Unfortunately, these findings are not surprising. The Ghanaian Times has long raised concerns about the country’s inadequate spatial planning and the ever-widening housing deficit, currently estimated at over two million units.
These gaps have allowed informal settlements to proliferate, worsening poverty and living conditions in urban areas. Even more disturbing is the contrast visible in many cities: plush high-rise apartments directly adjacent to crowded wooden shacks.
This stark inequality illustrates the growing gap between the affluent and the underprivileged in Ghana’s urban centres.
We therefore commend the GSS for producing a detailed, data-driven report based on the 2021 Population and Housing Census. As the Government Statistician, Dr Alhasan Iddrisu rightly noted, the report provides “the clearest picture we have ever had” of the realities on the ground.
Anyone who has walked through parts of Accra, Kumasi, or Tamale can confirm this reality—children playing near open drains, families crammed into small spaces, and makeshift homes unfit for human habitation. These conditions are both unsafe and undignified.
The report also highlights stark regional disparities. While Greater Accra and Ashanti— considered relatively developed, struggle mainly with housing shortages, slum intensity and poverty levels are far worse in regions such as North East, Northern, and Savannah.
In the North East Region, 79.1 per cent of the urban population live in slum conditions, compared to 29.6 per cent in Bono.
Educational and health outcomes in slum areas are equally troubling. One in three residents cannot read or write, and over 20 per cent have never attended school. Mortality rates are also significantly higher in slums—41.6 deaths per 10,000 people, compared to 30.7 in non-slum areas.
This is unacceptable in a country that aspires to middle-income status and prides itself on democratic governance. Urbanisation, which has driven progress in many parts of the world, is fast becoming a source of underdevelopment in Ghana due to poor planning and lack of investment in inclusive infrastructure.
We on The Ghanaian Times can affirm that decent housing is a fundamental human right. The conditions in Ghana’s slums represent a denial of that right to millions.
We therefore support the GSS’s call for targeted investments in extending and upgrading essential services—particularly water, sanitation, and durable housing—in slum and informal settlements.
We also echo calls for government programmes to support the construction and rehabilitation of housing using affordable, appropriate materials. Vocational training and job opportunities tailored to slum residents, especially the youth, must also be prioritised to empower communities and reduce dependency.
As Professor Stephen Owusu Kwankye of the University of Ghana aptly said, “We can’t stop urbanisation, but we can plan better.” Dr Evans Aggrey-Darko of the Civil Service also emphasised the need for policy action informed by data: “The data tells us we have work to do.”
Indeed, slum eradication is not a one-day task. It requires long-term commitment, strong political will, and collaboration between government, local authorities, civil society, and the private sector.
We believe that as a country, Ghana has the land, the expertise, and the frameworks to improve urban housing. Let this report be the wake-up call. Slum dwellers, too, deserve to live in dignity.