Ablekuma North has emerged as the overall best-performing district in the Multidimensional Poverty Index, according to the latest Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) rankings released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

The MPI listed many districts in the Greater Accra and Ashanti regions as the best-performing districts in Ghana between 2021 and 2025, citing improvements in living conditions, education, healthcare, and employment.

The report says among all the districts, Ablekuma North Municipal emerged as the overall best-performing district, recording an average poverty headcount of 8.5 percent over the five-year period and consistently maintaining a place among the top ten best-performing districts each year.

Ablekuma West Municipal came second with an average poverty incidence of 8.6 percent, while Korle Klottey Municipal recorded 8.8 per cent.

La Dade-Kotopon Municipal and Tema West Municipal also ranked among the country’s top-performing districts, highlighting the dominance of urban municipalities in reducing multidimensional poverty.

Other districts that featured prominently in the rankings include Ayawaso Central Municipal, Ayawaso West Municipal, Krowor Municipal, Ledzokuku Municipal, and Asokwa Municipal.

A major highlight reported by the GSS in its findings is the vast disparity in living conditions between urban and rural Ghana. Per the findings, several municipalities in Greater Accra consistently recorded low poverty levels, while districts in the northern parts of the country continued to experience higher deprivation rates.

The report also revealed that Ayawaso North Municipal recorded the lowest multidimensional poverty incidence nationwide in 2025, at 5.5 per cent.

Officials of the Ghana Statistical Service said the rankings provide critical data for policy planning, investment targeting, and social intervention programmes aimed at reducing poverty across the country.

The report further noted that improvements in access to education, healthcare, sanitation, electricity, and employment opportunities contributed significantly to the strong performance of the top-ranked districts.

Meanwhile, Findings from the Ghana Statistical Service’s Mobile Vulnerability Analysis and Mapping (mVAM) survey indicated that one in three households in the country was facing food pressure.

According to the survey, although most households appeared food secure, many were increasingly struggling behind the scenes to cope.

However, most people were managing to eat adequately. The report indicated that about 91 percent of Ghanaians maintained acceptable food consumption levels, citing overall stability in the country.

Consequently, the report stated that “these patterns highlighted the importance of looking beyond national averages to understand disparities and emerging risks.”

Households were increasingly reducing portion sizes, switching to cheaper foods, and borrowing money, clear signs of pressure on livelihoods.

Another cause for concern highlighted in the report was that about 25 percent of households had adopted coping strategies, including selling productive assets and cutting spending on health and education.

“Even where food consumption appeared stable today, many households were under pressure and were drawing down their ability to cope tomorrow,” the report warned.

The data also revealed sharp regional disparities, with the North East, Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions recording significantly higher levels of vulnerability than the southern parts of the country.

Beyond geography, the report identified education, livelihood type and access to markets as key drivers of food insecurity.

Also, social protection from the government is low, citing that only 1.5 percent of households reported receiving any form of assistance. The report emphasises that timely, targeted interventions are critical to prevent conditions from worsening.

“This report is not just a presentation of data. It is a call to act,” the GSS stressed.

It added that while many households are coping for now, the growing reliance on survival strategies could deepen vulnerability if left unaddressed.

“Without timely and coordinated action, these pressures can deepen into more severe food insecurity,” the report cautioned.

The Ghana Statistical Service urged policymakers to prioritise vulnerable populations and ensure that data-driven interventions reach those most at risk.