ABSTRACT
Development indicators show that Ghana compares favourably with most other African countries. This chapter outlines poverty in Ghana, in terms of the household characteristics of the poor, and reviews some of the major policies and programmes for poverty alleviation and reduction. It deals with a chronology of events that gave rise to the policy focus on poverty. In Ghana, the steep economic decline which dominated the period up to 1983, actually commenced as early as the mid-1960s with more rapid deterioration setting in from about 1975. In terms of demographic characteristics, there is a positive correlation between household size and poverty in Ghana. The correlation between household size and poverty can be attributed to the age composition and economic status of household members as demographic characteristics determine the consumption and productivity levels of households.
