Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Ghana
Ghana: Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) was -1.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Ghana, 2001–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Ghana recorded -1.7% for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in 2023.
That represents a change of up 83.0% on the previous year and up 79.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Ghana peaked at -1.4% in 2004 and was at its lowest, -10.9%, in 2020.
Ghana ranks 66th of 156 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | -6.5% | — |
| 2002 | -5.0% | -22.8% |
| 2003 | -3.6% | -27.9% |
| 2004 | -1.4% | -62.5% |
| 2005 | -1.4% | +3.6% |
| 2006 | -4.1% | +192.1% |
| 2007 | -4.7% | +13.9% |
| 2008 | -5.9% | +25.3% |
| 2009 | -5.6% | -3.9% |
| 2010 | -7.2% | +27.5% |
| 2011 | -3.9% | -45.6% |
| 2012 | -10.3% | +162.7% |
| 2013 | -8.3% | -19.3% |
| 2014 | -7.3% | -12.0% |
| 2015 | -5.3% | -28.2% |
| 2016 | -7.1% | +35.2% |
| 2017 | -4.7% | -34.4% |
| 2018 | -3.7% | -20.6% |
| 2019 | -4.3% | +15.3% |
| 2020 | -10.9% | +155.5% |
| 2021 | -9.2% | -15.2% |
| 2022 | -10.0% | +8.1% |
| 2023 | -1.7% | -83.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's -1.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is -3.0%, 57% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
- Ghana's -1.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is -3.8%, 45% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | -4.2% | -6.5% | -1.4% | 9 |
| 2010s | -6.2% | -10.3% | -3.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | -8.0% | -10.9% | -1.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 63 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines -1.5% compare
- 64 Indonesia -1.6% compare
- 65 Germany -1.7% compare
- 67 Sudan -1.7% compare
- 68 South Korea -1.8% compare
- 69 Madagascar -1.9% compare
More public sector data for Ghana
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Ghana?
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) in Ghana was -1.7% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was -1.4% in 2004.
- What is the lowest net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was -10.9% in 2020.
- How does Ghana rank for net lending (+) / net borrowing (-)?
- Ghana ranks 66th out of 156 countries with data for 2023.
- Is net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 79.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Net lending (+) / net borrowing (–) equals government revenue minus expense, minus net investment in nonfinancial assets. It is also equal to the net result of transactions in financial assets and liabilities. Net lending/net borrowing is a summary measure indicating the extent to which government is either putting financial resources at the disposal of other sectors in the economy or abroad, or utilizing the financial resources generated by other sectors in the economy or from abroad. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.