The World Bank says 56.4 per cent of Ghanaians remain in poverty, despite recent economic growth, warning that widening regional disparities point to a disconnect between the country’s headline economic performance and the living conditions of many citizens.

World Bank Division Director for Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Dr Robert Taliercio O’Brien, said this at the launch of the 10th Ghana Economic Update.

He said the recent growth recorded by the Ghanaian economy has not yet translated into broad-based improvements in living standards.

“56.4% of Ghanaians remain in poverty, and spatial disparities are widening,” Dr Taliercio O’Brien said.

He noted that the figures highlight a growing gap between the performance of the wider economy and the experiences of a significant proportion of the population.

According to him, economic growth remains concentrated in sectors that have limited capacity to create enough jobs, posing a particular challenge as more young people enter the labour market.

“Growth is led by sectors with limited employment absorption relative to its growing young population entering the labour market in the next decade,” he said.

Dr Taliercio O’Brien said the situation represents a structural problem that requires urgent attention if economic growth is to translate into improved livelihoods for a broader section of the population.

“A structural imbalance that also demands urgent attention,” he said.

The World Bank’s assessment comes amid efforts to strengthen Ghana’s economic recovery and ensure that growth is accompanied by greater job creation and improvements in living standards.