Why is the country Ghana so poor?

Question

Why is the country Ghana so poor?

Answer 1

That is a pretty good question.

   One could argue that Ghana is better off than their neighbors Togo, Côte d'Ivoire , and Burkina Faso as measured by Human Development Index.

   The fertility rate in Ghana is one of the lowest in Africa and considerably lower than it's neighbors.  In 30 years Ghana is predicted to have the same fertility rate as USA.

   The country has a lot of natural resources. It has a stable government with 50 years of independence.  Many people speak English. One of my neighbors was from Ghana, and they were trying to build a tourism industry there. Ghana is one of the more economically sound countries in all of Africa.

   Ghana ranks very high for an African country on the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) which is a measure of "the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians".

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I guess that it is kind of a general question about Africa. Ghana  still has 85% of the workforce in subsistence agriculture, so the people capitalizing on a more modern economy are very few.

Answer 2

drought. no natural resources

Answer 3

Paco is right -- Ghana is considered quite middle class by African standards.  It has a stable government, for one thing.  Many Ghanians who have worked elsewhere are making plans (and buying homes) in order to retire in Ghana, which will continue to stabilize the country (more money coming into the country, more business-oriented people).