Majority of Ghanaians believe Ghana is moving in wrong direction – Report

A new Afrobarometer report by the Center for Democratic Development (CDD) says that majority of Ghanaians believe that the country is “moving in the wrong direction.”

Six in 10 Ghanaians, representing 59% of the population said the country was going in the wrong direction while only 35% felt the country was headed in the right direction, a sharp decline from what pertained in 2017.

The report, which looked at the government’s economic performance noted that although the  International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank seem to approve the economic policies of the government, citizens are of a different view.

Per figures from the recent report, it meant that Ghanaians’ approval ratings on indicators of their government’s economic performance have declined sharply compared to 2017.

It however noted that about 51% of Ghanaians were optimistic that things will get better in the next year.

Respondents to the survey also rated the government as performing “fairly badly or very bad” when it comes to managing the economy, improving the living standard of the poor, creating jobs and narrowing income gaps.

“Few citizens are content with the country’s economic situation and their personal living conditions, and a majority say the country is headed in the wrong direction. Still, more than half are optimistic that things will get better in a year’s time,” the report said.

Below are some key findings of the report

1. Only three in 10 Ghanaians (30%) describe the country’s economic conditions as “fairly good” or “very good,” a modest decline from 35% recorded in 2017

2. Fewer than four in 10 (37%) say their personal living conditions are “fairly good” or “very good.”

3. And only 31% say the country’s economic condition has improved over the past 12 months. But more than half (54%) are optimistic that things will be “better” or ”much better” in 12 months’ time

4. Six in 10 Ghanaians (59%) say the country is “going in the wrong direction.” The share of citizens who see the country as “going in the right direction” declined by 15 percentage points from 2017, to 35%

5. Majorities of citizens say government is performing “fairly badly” or “very badly” in narrowing income gaps (66%), improving the living standards of the poor (56%), and creating jobs (54%)

6. Approval ratings on indicators of the government’s economic performance have declined sharply compared to 2017, with approval on management of the economy recording the steepest drop, by 20 percentage points