Oil rents as a share of GDP in Ghana
Ghana: Oil rents as a share of GDP was 4.1% in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Oil rents as a share of GDP in Ghana, 1971–2021
Source: The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2021, oil rents as a share of gdp in Ghana stood at 4.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 80.0% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, oil rents as a share of gdp in Ghana peaked at 5.1% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1971.
That places Ghana 30th out of 199 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Oil rents as a share of GDP in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 0.0% | — |
| 1972 | 0.0% | — |
| 1973 | 0.0% | — |
| 1974 | 0.0% | — |
| 1975 | 0.0% | — |
| 1976 | 0.0% | — |
| 1977 | 0.0% | — |
| 1978 | 0.1% | — |
| 1979 | 0.4% | +434.1% |
| 1980 | 0.3% | -8.3% |
| 1981 | 0.2% | -39.0% |
| 1982 | 0.1% | -59.1% |
| 1983 | 0.2% | +107.0% |
| 1984 | 0.2% | +7.3% |
| 1985 | 0.1% | -46.7% |
| 1986 | 0.0% | -91.9% |
| 1987 | 0.0% | -100.0% |
| 1988 | 0.0% | — |
| 1989 | 0.0% | — |
| 1990 | 0.0% | — |
| 1991 | 0.0% | — |
| 1992 | 0.1% | — |
| 1993 | 0.1% | +51.0% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -20.5% |
| 1995 | 0.2% | +171.0% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | +64.3% |
| 1997 | 0.3% | -22.5% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | -55.9% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | +92.3% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | +301.8% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | -31.6% |
| 2002 | 0.6% | -9.0% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | -17.8% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | +22.5% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | +12.7% |
| 2006 | 0.4% | -37.2% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | +20.4% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | -47.5% |
| 2010 | 0.4% | +46.8% |
| 2011 | 5.1% | +1198.1% |
| 2012 | 4.8% | -5.9% |
| 2013 | 3.5% | -26.5% |
| 2014 | 3.4% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | -62.2% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | -22.5% |
| 2017 | 2.6% | +160.2% |
| 2018 | 4.1% | +59.1% |
| 2019 | 4.1% | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | -44.6% |
| 2021 | 4.1% | +80.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.3% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.0% | 0.4% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 2.3% | 4.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More energy & mining data for Ghana
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, annual growth rate 5.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Coal consumption, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal consumption, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary energy use, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Coal production, per unit of GDP 0 terawatt-hours per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Fossil fuel consumption by fuel, per capita 0 terawatt-hours per person (2024)
- Fuel imports 32.1% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is oil rents as a share of gdp in Ghana?
- Oil rents as a share of gdp in Ghana was 4.1% in 2021, according to The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest oil rents as a share of gdp recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 5.1% in 2011.
- What is the lowest oil rents as a share of gdp recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1971.
- How does Ghana rank for oil rents as a share of gdp?
- Ghana ranks 30th out of 199 countries with data for 2021.
- Is oil rents as a share of gdp rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from The Changing Wealth of Nations, World Bank staff estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Oil rents as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Economic profits generated from oil extraction, measured as the difference between production value and costs, expressed as a percentage of gross domestic product.