Ghana, 1992–2024

Democracy · Republic · Africa · The 2010s era

The Fourth Republic established competitive elections with several peaceful transfers of power between rival parties, alongside recurring fiscal strain.

The 1992 constitution restored multiparty competition after a decade of military rule. Presidential power has since changed hands between the National Democratic Congress and the New Patriotic Party several times, with results accepted after judicial challenge, including a Supreme Court review of the 2012 election. Media licensing was liberalised and independent radio proliferated. Cocoa, gold and, from 2010, oil exports drove growth, while recurring fiscal deficits led to repeated International Monetary Fund programmes.

Open Ghana 1992–2024 in the interactive 3D atlas →

Dominant patterns

  • Democratization
  • Regime Stabilization
  • Economic Crisis

Political-science factor profile

Each factor 0–100; higher = stronger authoritarian / crisis pole (except institutional stability, where higher = stronger institutions).

Centralization of Power45
Media Control30
Repression25
Nationalism45
Militarization24
Economic Stress55
External Conflict14
Cult of Personality26
Elite Fragmentation45
Institutions68
Social Polarization45
Corruption & Patrimonialism58
Ideological Mobilization34
External Sovereignty68

Economy & society

GDP per capita$2834 (intl-$)
GDP growth+3%/yr
Population33.8M people
Share of world population0.4%
Urban share49%
Life expectancy60.6 years

Closest historical twins

The country-eras whose structural profile most resembles Ghana 1992–2024, by similarity score (0–100).

  1. Costa Rica, 1949–2024 – similarity 90/100 · shared: Democratization, Regime Stabilization
  2. Germany, 1990–2005 – similarity 87/100 · shared: Democratization, Regime Stabilization, Economic Crisis
  3. Mongolia, 1990–2024 – similarity 87/100 · shared: Democratization
  4. Spain, 1982–1996 – similarity 84/100 · shared: Democratization, Regime Stabilization
  5. Botswana, 1966–2024 – similarity 84/100 · shared: Democratization, Regime Stabilization
  6. South Africa, 1994–2008 – similarity 83/100 · shared: Democratization, Economic Crisis
  7. Japan, 1955–1972 – similarity 82/100 · shared: Democratization, Regime Stabilization
  8. Japan, 1972–1989 – similarity 82/100 · shared: Democratization, Regime Stabilization

What followed

  • Repeated peaceful alternation of governing parties.