Political rights

The president, who serves as head of state and head of government, is directly elected for up to two four-year terms. President Nana Akufo-Addo of the NPP was reelected in December 2020 with 51.3 percent of the vote.

African Union (AU) and European Union (EU) observers called the contest well-organized and generally peaceful, though EU monitors criticized a lack of campaign finance regulation and a misuse of state resources.

Members of the unicameral, 275-seat Parliament are elected directly in single- member constituencies to serve four-year terms.

The parliamentary by-election held in June was marred by a clash between NPP and NDC supporters, leaving one person injured

The constitution guarantees the right to form political parties, and this right is generally respected. However, in late 2022, the EC (Electoral Commission) canceled the registration certificates of 17 political parties for noncompliance with the Political Parties Act of 2000 after finding that the parties did not have national or regional offices, as required by law.

Civil society groups have expressed concern about the involvement of partisan vigilante groups in inter- and intraparty disputes

There have been multiple peaceful transfers of power between the NPP and NDC, and parties in opposition have meaningful opportunities to increase their public support and win office.

Ghanaians are generally free from undue interference with their political choices by powerful groups that are not democratically accountable. Voters and candidates are threatened by vigilantism and politically motivated violence despite the 2019 promulgation of the Vigilantism and Related Offences Act, which banned all political and other vigilante groups.

Women formally enjoy political equality but hold few leadership positions in practice. Women won 40 parliamentary seats in the December 2020 elections, the largest share since the reintroduction of multiparty politics. Very few women won office in local elections held in December 2023.

Elected officials are generally free to set and implement government policy without improper influence from unelected entities. The Imposition of Restrictions Act, which was passed by Parliament and signed by Akufo-Addo in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic became a global crisis, limited Parliament’s ability to revoke presidentially declared states of emergency.

Political corruption remains a problem despite active media coverage, fairly robust laws and institutions, and both government and nongovernmental anti graft initiatives.

The government operates with relative transparency, though there are weaknesses in the legal framework.

Civil liberties

Freedom of the press is constitutionally guaranteed and generally respected in practice.

Online news media operate without government restrictions. Government agencies occasionally limit press freedom by harassing and arresting journalists, especially those reporting on politically sensitive issues. Journalists face physical attacks and threats, sometimes issued by politicians, and security officers have attacked journalists with impunity in recent years.

Religious freedom is constitutionally and legally protected, and the government largely upholds these protections in practice. However, public schools feature mandatory religious education courses drawing on Christianity and Islam, and Muslim students have allegedly been required to participate in Christian prayer sessions and church services in some publicly funded Christian schools. Muslims have also accused private Christian schools of discrimination in recent years.

Private discussion is both free and vibrant. The government does not restrict individual expression on media platforms.

The right to peaceful assembly is constitutionally guaranteed and generally respected.

Cost-of-living and anti-government protests continued in 2023, with authorities seeking injunctions to limit those assemblies.

NGOs are generally able to operate freely and play an important role in ensuring human rights protection, media freedom, and government accountability and transparency.

Under the constitution and 2003 labor laws, workers may form and join trade unions. However, the government forbids or restricts organized labor action in several sectors, including fuel distribution and utilities, public transportation, and ports and harbor services.

Judicial independence is constitutionally and legally enshrined.

Police have been known to accept bribes, make arbitrary arrests, and hold people without charge for longer than the legally permitted limit of 48 hours.

Ghanaian law generally protects individuals from unlawful use of physical force by others.

Prisons are overcrowded and conditions can be life-threatening, though the prison service has attempted to reduce congestion and improve the treatment of inmates in recent years.

Violence related to communal, ethnic, and chieftaincy disputes occurs in parts of Ghana

Despite equal rights under the law, women face societal discrimination, especially in rural areas, where their opportunities for education and employment are limited. However, women’s enrollment in universities has been increasing in recent years. LGBT+ people face significant discrimination. Same-sex sexual activity is criminalized, encouraging impunity for violence against and harassment of LGBT+ people.

Freedom of movement is guaranteed by the constitution and is generally respected by the government. Police have been known to set up illegal checkpoints to demand bribes from travelers. Bribery is also rife in the education sector.

Although the legal framework generally supports property ownership and private business activity, weaknesses in the rule of law, corruption, and an underregulated property rights system are problems. Domestic violence and rape are serious problems, and harmful traditional practices including female genital mutilation and early or forced marriage persist in certain regions.

Gender-based violence remains a major problem, though the government has worked to combat the issue

Most workers are employed in the informal sector, limiting the effectiveness of legal and regulatory safeguards for working conditions. The exploitation of children in the agricultural and mining sectors remains a problem.