Only 22% of adults in Ghana are financially healthy, even though more than 80% have access to financial services, according to figures highlighted ahead of a visit by Queen Máxima of the Netherlands.
The 2021 FinScope survey found that a further 44% of adults were coping and 34% were financially vulnerable. Being financially healthy means being able to manage day-to-day money, absorb shocks such as a poor harvest or a hospital bill, and save or invest for the future. Almost half of adults, 48%, scored low on building savings, and 61.7% scored low on managing risks.
Ghana does far better on access. More than 80% of adults have an account and can reach loans, savings products and insurance, according to the World Bank's Global Findex 2025.
Queen Máxima, the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Financial Health, will be in Ghana from 2 to 5 November. She will meet farmers, women traders at Makola market, health workers and investors, and join a Bank of Ghana meeting with heads of financial institutions.
The government plans to announce a new financial sector development strategy on 5 November, with financial health as a core goal. Queen Máxima is also due to meet President John Dramani Mahama, Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Asiama and Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson.