Quality of life comparison
If you lived in United States instead of Ghana, you would:
Health
live 13.2 years longer
In Ghana, the average life expectancy is 66 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 79 years (76 years for men, 81 years for women) as of 2024.
see 57.5 times more spent on your healthcare
Ghana spends $234 per person on healthcare as of 2023 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). United States spends $13,473 as of 2023.
have 13.8 times more doctors per person
Ghana has 2.7 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2023. United States has 36.8 as of 2022.
have 79.2% more access to essential health services
Ghana scores 48 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. United States scores 86 as of 2021.
be 2.8 times more likely to be obese
In Ghana, 14.6% of adults are obese as of 2024. In United States, that number is 41.0% of people as of 2024.
be 2.9 times more likely to die by suicide
Ghana has a suicide rate of 5.3 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In United States, it is 15.6 per 100,000 as of 2021.
Economy
make 27.6 times more money
Ghana has a GDP per capita of $3,257 as of 2025, while in United States, the GDP per capita is $90,027 as of 2025.
be 40.9% more likely to be unemployed
In Ghana, 3.0% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In United States, that number is 4.2% as of 2025.
Life
be 92.7% less likely to die during childbirth
In Ghana, approximately 234.0 women die from pregnancy or childbirth per 100,000 live births as of 2023. In United States, 17.0 women do as of 2023.
be 80.0% less likely to die during infancy
In Ghana, approximately 27.5 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2024. In United States, on the other hand, 5.5 children do as of 2024.
have 59.1% fewer children
In Ghana, there are approximately 25.9 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In United States, there are 10.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.
Basic Needs
be 11.7% more likely to have access to electricity
In Ghana, approximately 90% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2023. In United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023.
be 31.2% more likely to have internet access
In Ghana, approximately 72.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In United States, about 94.7% do as of 2024.
be 11.2% more likely to have access to drinking water
In Ghana, approximately 90% of people have access to drinking water (99% in urban areas, and 76% in rural areas) as of 2024. In United States, that number is 100% of people on average (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2024.
Expenditures
spend 86.3% more on education
Ghana spends 2.9% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. United States spends 5.4% of total GDP on education as of 2021.
spend 5.7 times more on healthcare
Ghana spends 3.0% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2023. In United States, that number is 16.7% of GDP as of 2023.
Geography
see 37.0 times more coastline
Ghana has a total of 539 km of coastline. In United States, that number is 19,924 km.
Safety
be 45.2% less likely to die in a road accident
In Ghana, road accidents kill 25.9 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In United States, they kill 14.2 per 100,000 as of 2021.
be 3.1 times more likely to be murdered
Ghana has a homicide rate of 1.8 per 100,000 people as of 2022. In United States, that number is 5.8 per 100,000 as of 2023.
be 23.8% less likely to feel safe walking alone at night
In Ghana, 83% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2019. In United States, that number is 63% as of 2021.
Infrastructure
find 58.9 times more home broadband
Ghana has 0.7 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. United States has 38.9 as of 2024.
use 22.7 times more electricity
Ghana uses 565 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2023. United States uses 12,839 kWh as of 2024.
live with 4.5 times more strain on fresh water
Ghana withdraws 6% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. United States withdraws 28% as of 2022.
Environment
be 84.3% less likely to die from air pollution
In Ghana, air pollution causes 89.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In United States, it causes 14.0 as of 2019.
emit 19.5 times more CO2
Ghana emits 0.7 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. United States emits 13.6 tonnes as of 2024.
Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook. How we calculate this
Compare further: Ghana vs. United States
United States: At a glance
How big is United States compared to Ghana? See an in-depth size comparison.