Ghana’s latest food security data point to a persistent drag on human capital and growth. The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reports 12.5 million people were food insecure in the third quarter of 2025. That is below the peak of 13.4 million in Q2 2025, yet well above the recent low of 11.2 million in Q1 2024. The trend weakens child development, labour productivity and business confidence. The Quarterly Food Insecurity Report, released in Accra on Tuesday, 10 February 2026, sets out the scale, drivers and policy options.
What the new report shows
After a brief improvement in early 2024, food insecurity climbed each quarter and peaked in Q2 2025. It then eased by about 900,000 people in Q3 2025, to 12.5 million. However, vulnerability remains acute. National prevalence moved from 35.2% in Q1 2024 to 41.1% in Q2 2025, before easing to 38.1% in Q3 2025. This shift marks a 7.9 percentage point rise from the Q1 2024 low to the Q3 2025 level. According to Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, food insecurity affects welfare, health and work outcomes, not only social protection metrics.
The GSS applies the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). FIES is an internationally used tool that tracks household experiences of limited food access over three months through eight simple questions. A “yes” to four to six questions signals moderate food insecurity. Seven or eight “yes” answers indicate severe food insecurity. Severe food insecurity fell from 5.1% in Q2 2025 to 4.6% in Q3 2025. The rate stayed higher for rural female-headed households, which peaked at 8.1% in Q2 before easing.
Children, learning and the future workforce
Households with stunted, wasted or underweight children show food insecurity rates above 44%. Poor diets in childhood reduce cognitive development and school performance. They also lower adult productivity and lifetime earnings. Thus, today’s nutrition gaps weaken tomorrow’s workforce. Education helps protect households. Where the head holds tertiary education, food insecurity sits near 15%. Among households with no formal education, it nears 50%.
Food insecurity in Ghana: a structural brake
The report identifies a “triple burden” of food insecurity, multidimensional poverty and unemployment. Between Q2 and Q3 2025, the number of people facing all three rose by 19,455, or 9.4%, to 227,519. The absolute figure is modest, yet it signals deep and compounding risk. Chronic hunger reduces energy, focus and health. Workers then lose days to illness, perform less and earn less. Firms face higher costs and lower output. At the national level, returns to education and skills programs fall, while growth slows.
Regions and gender: wide gaps persist
Regional disparities are stark. Upper West posted the highest prevalence at 55.9% in Q3 2025. Volta followed at 50.1%, then North East at 45.9%. Oti stood lowest at 18.4%. Gender gaps also remained. Food insecurity among female-headed households peaked at 44.1% in the first half of 2025. The rate for male-headed households peaked at 38.7%. The 6.2 point gap reflects income differences, job access and caregiving demands.
Why the slight easing does not mean resilience
The drop of 900,000 people between Q2 and Q3 2025 offers cautious relief. However, the broader path shows fragility. In five quarters, food insecurity moved from 11.2 million to 13.4 million at its peak. Prices, seasonal patterns and income shocks can reverse gains quickly. Short-term improvements help, but they do not remove the underlying exposure to economic stress.
Policy directions linked to productivity
Food security should be treated as core economic infrastructure. Reliable access to safe and nutritious food improves health, supports learning and boosts labour efficiency. The GSS recommends a practical mix of measures. Target high-burden regions with tailored support. Expand nutrition-sensitive social protection. Link food security programs to job creation, especially for women and youth. Invest in education and rural resilience, including storage, irrigation and market access. Each action reduces volatility for households and strengthens aggregate productivity.
Ghana’s Q3 2025 figures show both risk and opportunity. The data confirm a slight easing from the mid-year peak. They also reveal persistent structural pressures that hit children, workers and firms. Tackling food insecurity with targeted, productivity-minded policies can protect human capital and help convert economic ambition into broader, more durable development.
