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

Health

be 23.9% less likely to die by suicide

Italy has a suicide rate of 7.0 per 100,000 people as of 2021. In Ghana, it is 5.3 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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be 5.0 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Italy, 0.3% 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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live 18.3 years less

In Italy, the average life expectancy is 84 years (82 years for men, 86 years for women) as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 66 years (63 years for men, 68 years for women) as of 2024.

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see 95.3% less spent on your healthcare

Italy spends $4,993 per person on healthcare as of 2024 (international dollars, adjusted for prices). Ghana spends $234 as of 2023.

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have 93.7% fewer doctors per person

Italy has 41.9 doctors per 10,000 people as of 2022. Ghana has 2.7 as of 2023.

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have 42.9% less access to essential health services

Italy scores 84 out of 100 on the universal health coverage index as of 2021. Ghana scores 48 as of 2021.

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Economy

be 53.4% less likely to be unemployed

In Italy, 6.4% of the labor force is unemployed as of 2025. In Ghana, that number is 3.0% as of 2025.

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make 92.5% less money

Italy has a GDP per capita of $43,309 as of 2025, while in Ghana, the GDP per capita is $3,257 as of 2025.

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Life

have 4.1 times more children

In Italy, there are approximately 6.3 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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be 39.0 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Italy, approximately 6.0 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 23.0% less likely to be literate

In Italy, the literacy rate is 99.3% as of 2019. In Ghana, it is 76.5% as of 2021.

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be 12.0 times more likely to die during infancy

In Italy, approximately 2.3 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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Basic Needs

be 10.5% less likely to have access to electricity

In Italy, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (100% in urban areas, and 100% in rural areas) as of 2023. In Ghana, that number is 90% of people on average (98% in urban areas, and 78% in rural areas) as of 2023.

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be 19.1% less likely to have internet access

In Italy, approximately 89.2% of the population has internet access as of 2024. In Ghana, about 72.2% do as of 2024.

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be 10.0% less likely to have access to drinking water

In Italy, approximately 100% of people have access to drinking water (100% in urban areas, and 100% 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 28.5% less on education

Italy spends 4.1% of its total GDP on education as of 2022. Ghana spends 2.9% of total GDP on education as of 2022.

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spend 65.0% less on healthcare

Italy spends 8.4% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2024. In Ghana, that number is 3.0% of GDP as of 2023.

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Geography

see 92.9% less coastline

Italy has a total of 7,600 km of coastline. In Ghana, that number is 539 km.

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Safety

be 36.5% more likely to feel safe walking alone at night

In Italy, 61% of people feel safe walking alone at night as of 2016. In Ghana, that number is 83% as of 2019.

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be 3.2 times more likely to be murdered

Italy has a homicide rate of 0.6 per 100,000 people as of 2023. In Ghana, that number is 1.8 per 100,000 as of 2022.

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be 5.2 times more likely to die in a road accident

In Italy, road accidents kill 5.0 people per 100,000 as of 2021. In Ghana, they kill 25.9 per 100,000 as of 2021.

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Infrastructure

live with 78.8% less strain on fresh water

Italy withdraws 30% of its available fresh water each year as of 2022. Ghana withdraws 6% as of 2022.

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find 97.9% less home broadband

Italy has 31.8 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people as of 2024. Ghana has 0.7 as of 2024.

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use 89.0% less electricity

Italy uses 5,137 kWh of electricity per person each year as of 2024. Ghana uses 565 kWh as of 2023.

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Environment

emit 86.2% less CO2

Italy emits 5.1 tonnes of CO2 per person each year as of 2024. Ghana emits 0.7 tonnes as of 2024.

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be 5.9 times more likely to die from air pollution

In Italy, air pollution causes 15.0 deaths per 100,000 people as of 2019. In Ghana, it causes 89.0 as of 2019.

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Sources: World Bank (2019–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2016–2021), The World Factbook. 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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