"Upper West, Volta and North East record highest food insecurity rates" — Government Statistician

Ghana’s food insecurity challenge remains severe, volatile and unevenly distributed across regions, with the Upper West, Volta and North East regions recording the highest prevalence rates, according to the Government Statistician, Dr. Iddrisu Alhassan.

Dr. Alhassan disclosed this on Tuesday while addressing the media during the release of the 2024 Q1 – 2025 Q3 Food Insecurity Report, an official assessment tracking food access, vulnerability and nutrition outcomes across the country.

According to the report, national food insecurity prevalence increased from 35.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2024 to 38.1 per cent by the third quarter of 2025, peaking at 41.0 per cent in the second quarter of 2025 before easing slightly.

Dr. Alhassan said the fluctuations highlight the volatile nature of food insecurity in Ghana, noting that the situation responds quickly to economic pressures, seasonal cycles and food price movements.

“Although we observed some easing in the most recent quarter, the overall trend since the first quarter of 2024 is upward, indicating rising vulnerability,” he stated.

Dr. Alhassan described regional inequality as one of the strongest findings of the report, stressing that food insecurity is deeply spatial and not evenly spread across the country.

He revealed that the Upper West Region recorded the highest food insecurity prevalence rate at 55.9 per cent, followed by the Volta Region at 50.1 per cent, while the North East Region recorded 45.9 per cent.

All three regions are significantly above the national average of 38.1 per cent recorded in the third quarter of 2025.

“The severity becomes clear when you compare these figures to the national average. A region like Upper West, with nearly 56 per cent prevalence, is facing a far more serious situation than the country as a whole,” Dr. Alhassan explained.

In contrast, the Oti Region recorded the lowest food insecurity prevalence, declining from 23.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 to 18.4 per cent by the third quarter.

As a result, the gap between the highest- and lowest-ranked regions widened to 37.5 percentage points, up from 32.9 percentage points earlier in the year, underscoring growing regional divergence.

Beyond percentages, the Government Statistician emphasized the importance of understanding food insecurity in human terms.

The report shows that the number of food-insecure persons rose from 11.2 million people in 2024 Q1 to a peak of 13.4 million in 2025 Q2, before declining slightly to 12.5 million by 2025 Q3.

While nearly one million people exited food insecurity between the second and third quarters of 2025, Dr. Alhassan cautioned that 12.5 million Ghanaians remain food insecure, a figure he described as “still very significant.”

He added that compared to 2022 Q1, when food-insecure persons were estimated at about 16 million, Ghana has recorded a nearly 22 per cent reduction, meaning roughly three to three-and-a-half million people have moved out of food insecurity over the period.

“That progress is important, but it does not reduce the urgency. As a country, we must do everything possible to bring this number down to the barest minimum,” he said.

The report further reveals persistent gender disparities, with moderate food insecurity consistently higher among female-headed households throughout the review period.

Food insecurity among female-headed households peaked at 44.1 per cent in the first and second quarters of 2025, compared to 38.7 per cent among male-headed households, creating a 5.4 percentage point gap, which widened further to 6.2 percentage points by the third quarter.

Dr. Alhassan attributed the gap to structural factors, including income inequality, differences in employment opportunities and the burden of caregiving responsibilities borne disproportionately by women.

Locality also plays a major role. Nationally, about 53 per cent of households reported worrying about food in the third quarter of 2025.

However, the problem was more acute in rural areas, where nearly 60 per cent of households expressed concern, compared to 48 per cent in urban centres.

Across all food insecurity indicators, rural households consistently showed higher vulnerability, particularly in eating less than needed.

He noted that household composition was another critical factor.

Food insecurity was highest among households with both children and elderly members, averaging 44 per cent in the first three quarters of 2025.

Households with children only recorded 40 per cent, while those without dependents recorded 38 per cent.

Regionally, Upper West, North East, Savannah and Volta dominated the high-risk household categories.

The report also found a strong link between food insecurity and child malnutrition.

Nationally, households with malnourished children recorded food insecurity rates of about 44 per cent, well above the national average.

“This clearly shows that food insecurity is not just about availability of food, but also about nutrition outcomes, particularly for children,” Dr. Alhassan said.

Dr. Alhassan concluded that the findings call for targeted, region-specific, gender-responsive and rural-focused interventions, especially in high-prevalence regions such as Upper West, Volta and North East, to strengthen resilience and protect vulnerable households.

“The data is telling us clearly where the risks are and who is most affected. Policy responses must reflect that reality,” he said.

Story by: Joshua Kwabena Smith and Hawa Abubakar