If you lived in Ghana instead of Afghanistan, you would:

Health

be 29.3% less likely to be obese

In Afghanistan, 20.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 14.6% of people as of 2024.

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have 17.1% more access to essential health services

Afghanistan scores 41 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ghana scores 48 as of 2021.

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be 15.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Afghanistan, 0.1% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 1.5% of people as of 2024.

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see 28.9% less spent on your healthcare

Afghanistan spends $330 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ghana spends $234 as of 2023.

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have 16.1% fewer doctors per person

Afghanistan has 3.2 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. Ghana has 2.7 as of 2023.

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be 47.8% more likely to die by suicide

Afghanistan has a suicide rate of 3.6 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ghana, it is 5.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 77.7% less likely to be unemployed

In Afghanistan, 13.3% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ghana, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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be 50.3% less likely to live below the poverty line

In Afghanistan, 47.1% live below the poverty line as of 2019. In Ghana, however, that number is 23.4% as of 2016.

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make 7.8 times more money

Afghanistan has a GDP per capita of $417 as of 2024, while in Ghana, the GDP per capita is $3,257 as of 2025.

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Life

be 55.1% less likely to die during childbirth

In Afghanistan, approximately 521.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In Ghana, 234.0 women do as of 2023.

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be 2.1 times more likely to be literate

In Afghanistan, the literacy rate is 37.3% as of 2021. In Ghana, it is 76.5% as of 2021.

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be 43.1% less likely to die during infancy

In Afghanistan, approximately 48.3 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In Ghana, on the other hand, 27.5 children do as of 2024.

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have 26.0% fewer children

In Afghanistan, there are approximately 35.0 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ghana, there are 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

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Basic Needs

be 4.5 times more likely to have internet access

In Afghanistan, approximately 16.1% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ghana, about 72.2% do as of 2024.

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be 11.2% more likely to have access to drinking water

In Afghanistan, approximately 81% of people have access to drinking water (97% in urban areas, and 75% in rural areas) as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 90% of people on average (99% in urban areas, and 76% in rural areas) as of 2024.

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Expenditures

spend 80.3% less on healthcare

Afghanistan spends 15.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In Ghana, that number is 3.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Safety

be 54.6% less likely to be murdered

Afghanistan has a homicide rate of 4.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ghana, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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Infrastructure

find 8.2 times more home broadband

Afghanistan has 0.1 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2023. Ghana has 0.7 as of 2024.

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live with 88.5% less strain on fresh water

Afghanistan withdraws 55% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ghana withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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Environment

be 37.8% less likely to die from air pollution

In Afghanistan, air pollution causes 143.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ghana, it causes 89.0 as of 2019.

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emit 2.5 times more CO2

Afghanistan emits 0.3 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ghana emits 0.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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Sources: World Bank (2016–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024). How we calculate this

Ghana: At a glance

Ghana is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 227,533 sq km. Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election.
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