Electricity in Ghana - statistics & facts

Ghana has a population of over 30 million. Of this, around 86 percent had access to electricity in 2020, a share gradually reached over the previous years. For instance, as of 2010, only about 64 percent of the population could access electricity. The prevalence of access is usually higher in urban areas than in rural communities. Moreover, the total number of individuals without electricity in the country added up to around 4.4 million in 2020. Despite the annually increasing supply of electricity nationwide, frequent power outages, also known as dumsor, have remained problematic. These have often been attributed to electricity transmission challenges faced by the responsible energy institutions in the country.

Sources fueling electricity production

Between 2016 and 2020, Ghana produced around 12 billion kilowatt hours of electricity each year. In December 2020 alone, over 1.8 thousand gigawatt hours of electricity were generated. Fossil fuels contribute to electrical energy generation. In 2020, approximately 11.6 billion kilowatt hours net of electricity were generated from fossil fuels, representing the main electricity source that year. Overall, the country heavily depends on thermal energy to boost its electricity sector. On the other hand, in 2020, solar energy, a renewable source, accounted for around 57 thousand kilowatt hours of the electricity output, while the contribution of hydropower added up to roughly six thousand gigawatt hours.

How is Ghana dealing with rising electricity demand?

Ghana had a total electricity customer population of more than five million as of 2020. In the previous year, the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), the government institution that provides electrical energy services, accounted for around 3.8 million of the total clients. The growing energy demand and customer base often outweigh electricity supply in the country. In 2021, for instance, electricity demand was expected to reach around 21.3 thousand gigawatt hours. Contrary to this high demand, generating companies sent out approximately 18 thousand gigawatt hours of electricity to distribution companies, mines, as well as for exports in 2020. Overall, Ghana exported nearly 190 milion kilowatt hours of electricity in 2020. Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire, Benin, and Togo are some of its main electrical energy export destinations.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Doris Dokua Sasu, Dec 21, 2023

Key insights

Annual production
12.5bn KWh
Net generation from solar energy
57k KWh
Generation from hydropower
7k GWh
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Electricity prices in Ghana as of September 2023, by user group (Ghanaian cedis per kilowatt hour)

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Prices of electricity in Ghana 2023, by user

Total electricity demand in Ghana from 2021 to 2030 (in gigawatt hours)

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Electrical energy demand in Ghana 2021-2030

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Annual electricity consumed by the industry sector in Ghana 2000-2022

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