Assessing public spending by age in Ghana · 2026
Ghana invests in its children, but this first age-based analysis finds the money is not always where and when it matters most. Spending is concentrated in education and later childhood, while the youngest children, when investment matters most, receive just 10.9 per cent of public spending on childhood, and poorer and rural children benefit less.
Ghana has achieved important gains for children compared with many countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, particularly pre-primary enrolment, child poverty, child survival and health. Yet public spending remains concentrated in later childhood, while the earlier years, when investments have the greatest impact on lifelong outcomes, receive only a small share of the investment.
Public spending per child by single year of age (USD PPP), from the prenatal period to age 17. High-income countries invest 28.8% of child spending in the prenatal to age 5 years, and spread investment more evenly across childhood. Ghana and South Africa invest relatively little before school age. Limited early-years support reflects the absence of a statutory child benefit, parental leave linked mainly to formal employment, and limited family income support and childcare services for under-3s. Source: L4WB-I, author's calculations.
Schooling matters, but it crowds out everything else. Social protection, child protection and early childhood services are left with a sliver, so families get almost no support during the years that count most.
Public spending as a share of GDP, by sector (bars scaled to education). Source: UNICEF Ghana budget briefs, 2024–2025.
Public spending should narrow inequalities, not reinforce them. Yet children from Ghana's wealthiest households receive nearly twice the per capita public investment as those in the poorest households, perpetuating unequal access to services.
A comprehensive child policy portfolio with universal child benefits, parental leave, childcare and health, along with continued investment in education, would raise total child spending to about 7.2 per cent of GDP. This is roughly 4 points above today and still within international benchmarks.
A policy package to eradicate extreme child poverty, combining universal maternity and parental leave, childcare, health and education with targeted income support, is projected to deliver gains for children, women and the economy within two to three years.
The report sets out seven recommendations. These four are where Ghana should start, and together they move money to where it changes children's lives most.
Invest more and earlier in children's lives
Rebalance public spending towards the prenatal period and early childhood, where it has the greatest impact on child development, poverty reduction and long-term human capital.
Build a comprehensive child policy portfolio
Strengthen the mix of support for young children and families, including child benefits, parental leave, childcare, health, nutrition, responsive caregiving and child protection, while maintaining investment in education.
Reduce inequalities in access to public investment
Ensure poorer, rural and otherwise disadvantaged children benefit equitably, through stronger income support, targeted outreach and improved access to quality services.
Strengthen implementation and coordination
Deliver reforms through a phased approach, with stronger coordination across sectors and levels of government, aligned with the ECCD Policy and related child-focused strategies.
The report's seven recommendations, condensed. See the full report for the complete set.
Ghana was the first country to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. Rebalancing spending towards the youngest children is affordable and transformative. The cost of waiting is paid by the children who need it most.
The goal, in three numbers