Goal
Goal 8 aims to “promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent work for all.”
For Ghana, this means creating enough quality jobs—especially for its large youth population—while transitioning workers from the informal sector to formal, protected employment. Key priorities include fostering entrepreneurship, supporting resilient sectors like technology and agriculture, ensuring fair wages and safe working conditions, and achieving economic growth that actively reduces poverty.
Community Success
This is driven by the rise of local youth entrepreneurship hubs and agricultural cooperatives. These community-based initiatives provide training, access to capital, and market linkages, empowering young people and smallholder farmers to create sustainable businesses and generate decent livelihoods within their own communities.
Key Statistics
| SDG Indicator | Statistic (latest year) | Source & Implication |
|---|---|---|
| 8.1.1 – Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita | 0.4% (2024) | Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). Shows modest growth following recent economic challenges, indicating a path toward stabilization and recovery. |
| 8.3.1 – Proportion of informal employment | 87% (2023) | GSS. Highlights the dominant role of the informal sector, guiding policies for formalization, social protection, and productivity enhancement. |
| 8.5.2 – Unemployment rate | 14.7% (2023) | GSS. Reflects labor market pressures but informs targeted job creation and skills development programs, especially for youth. |
| 8.6.1 – Youth not in education, employment, or training (NEET) | 19.7% (2023) | GSS. Underscores the need for focused interventions to engage young people in productive learning and work opportunities. |
| 8.9.1 – Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP | 1.7% of GDP (2024) | Ghana Tourism Authority. Shows the sector’s recovery and growth potential post-pandemic as a source of jobs and foreign exchange. |
| 8.10.1 – (b) Number of ATMs per 100,000 adults | 12.8 (2023) | Bank of Ghana. Indicates stable access to basic financial infrastructure, supporting financial inclusion. |
| 8.b.1 – National strategy for youth employment | Multiple active programs (e.g., NEIP, NABCO) (2024) | Ministry of Employment. Demonstrates a sustained institutional framework and programs aimed at addressing youth unemployment. |
| Target | Indicators | |
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8.1 Sustain per capita economic growth in accordance with national circumstances and, in particular, at least 7 per cent gross domestic product growth per annum in the least developed countries |
8.1.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per capita |
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8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors |
8.2.1
Annual growth rate of real GDP per employed person |
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8.3 Promote development-oriented policies that support productive activities, decent job creation, entrepreneurship, creativity and innovation, and encourage the formalization and growth of micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises, including through access to financial services |
8.3.1
Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex |
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8.4 Improve progressively, through 2030, global resource efficiency in consumption and production, and endeavour to decouple economic growth from environmental degradation, in accordance with the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production, with developed countries taking the lead |
8.4.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
8.4.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP |
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8.5 By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value |
8.5.1
Average hourly earnings of female and male employees, by occupation, age and persons with disabilities
8.5.2
Unemployment rate, by sex, age and persons with disabilities |
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8.6 By 2020, substantially reduce the proportion of youth not in employment, education or training |
8.6.1 Proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) not in education, employment or training |
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8.7 Take immediate and effective measures to eradicate forced labour, end modern slavery and human trafficking and secure the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour, including recruitment and use of child soldiers, and by 2025 end child labour in all its forms |
8.7.1 Proportion and number of children aged 5‑17 years engaged in child labour, by sex and age |
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8.8
Protect labour rights and promote safe and secure working environments for all workers, including migrant workers, in particular women migrants, and those in precarious employment |
8.8.1
Fatal and non-fatal occupational injuries per 100,000 workers, by sex and migrant status
8.8.2
Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of association and collective bargaining) based on International Labour Organization (ILO) textual sources and national legislation, by sex and migrant status |
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8.9
By 2030, devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
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8.9.1
Tourism direct GDP as a proportion of total GDP and in growth rate |
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8.10 Strengthen the capacity of domestic financial institutions to encourage and expand access to banking, insurance and financial services for all |
8.10.1
(a) Number of commercial bank branches per 100,000 adults and (b) number of automated teller machines (ATMs) per 100,000 adults
8.10.2
Proportion of adults (15 years and older) with an account at a bank or other financial institution or with a mobile-money-service provider |
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8.a Increase Aid for Trade support for developing countries, in particular least developed countries, including through the Enhanced Integrated Framework for Trade-Related Technical Assistance to Least Developed Countries |
8.a.1
Aid for Trade commitments and disbursements |
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8.b By 2020, develop and operationalize a global strategy for youth employment and implement the Global Jobs Pact of the International Labour Organization |
8.b.1
Existence of a developed and operationalized national strategy for youth employment, as a distinct strategy or as part of a national employment strategy |
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