Ghana vs Nigeria
Ghana vs Nigeria: Government debt
Government debt in 2025: 48.8% of GDP in Ghana and 36.1% of GDP in Nigeria, by IMF estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ghana, by 12.8 percentage points, or 1.35 times that in Nigeria.
% of GDP · IMF
What the numbers say
- Ghana has been higher since 1994, when it overtook Nigeria.
- In 2025, Ghana ranked 84 and Nigeria ranked 114 of 149 countries, counting from the highest.
- The IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) puts Ghana at 47.3% of GDP and Nigeria at 31.9% of GDP in 2031.
Every year
% of GDP · IMF
| Year | Ghana | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 48.8 | 36.1 |
| 2024 | 70.1 | 39.3 |
| 2023 | 79.1 | 36.3 |
| 2022 | 92.7 | 29.8 |
| 2021 | 86.9 | 26.6 |
| 2020 | 79.1 | 25.7 |
| 2019 | 62.9 | 21.4 |
| 2018 | 62 | 20.4 |
| 2017 | 57 | 18 |
| 2016 | 55.9 | 17.4 |
| 2015 | 53.9 | 14.9 |
| 2014 | 50.1 | 15.8 |
| 2013 | 42.9 | 13 |
| 2012 | 35.5 | 12.5 |
| 2011 | 31.2 | 12.4 |
| 2010 | 32.9 | 6.7 |
| 2009 | 25.4 | 6.1 |
| 2008 | 23.2 | 5.2 |
| 2007 | 21.1 | 5.8 |
| 2006 | 17.3 | 6.7 |
| 2005 | 31.7 | 13.5 |
| 2004 | 38.4 | 25.2 |
| 2003 | 49.3 | 29.9 |
| 2002 | 54.1 | 30.7 |
| 2001 | 57.8 | 37.7 |
| 2000 | 74.5 | 40.9 |
| 1999 | 51.7 | 46.1 |
| 1998 | 37.6 | 15.8 |
| 1997 | 45.2 | 17.1 |
| 1996 | 42.9 | 17.9 |
| 1995 | 47.6 | 24.2 |
| 1994 | 50.6 | 39.7 |
| 1993 | 34.1 | 50.4 |
| 1992 | 21.3 | 49.8 |
| 1991 | 17.3 | 53.2 |
| 1990 | 17.8 | 50.9 |
IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026) · 2026–2031
| Year | Ghana | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 51.7 | 34.7 |
| 2027 | 50.8 | 32.8 |
| 2028 | 49.7 | 32.9 |
| 2029 | 49 | 32.5 |
| 2030 | 48.2 | 32.2 |
| 2031 | 47.3 | 31.9 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the government owes, as a share of the economy’s yearly output.
- Source: IMF, World Economic Outlook, October 2026.
- The dashed line is the IMF projection (World Economic Outlook, October 2026), a scenario rather than a forecast.
- Ranks count the 149 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Ghana vs Nigeria
Health
- Life expectancyGhana: 65.5 years in 2023Nigeria: 54.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGhana: 3.6 per 100 live births in 2024Nigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGhana: 30.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Nigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterGhana: 44.5% in 2022Nigeria: 29% in 2022
- DepressionGhana: 3.4% in 2017Nigeria: 3.92% in 2017
- Suicide rateGhana: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Nigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGhana: 33.8 million people in 2023Nigeria: 228 million people in 2023
- Population growthGhana: 1.9% a year in 2023Nigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGhana: 3.4 births per woman in 2023Nigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGhana: 58.9% in 2025Nigeria: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageGhana: 20.9 years in 2023Nigeria: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGhana: 3.6% in 2023Nigeria: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateGhana: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Nigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGhana: 0.48% of GDP in 2025Nigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGhana: $385M in 2025Nigeria: $1.76B in 2025
- Military spending per personGhana: $15 in 2025Nigeria: $9 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGhana: 2.4% of government spending in 2025Nigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGhana: 16,000 people in 2020Nigeria: 223,000 people in 2020
- National powerGhana: 0.17% of world capability in 2022Nigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGhana: 0.13% of the labour force in 2020Nigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGhana: 5 million TIV in 2025Nigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsGhana: 19 million TIV in 2005Nigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022