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Ghana - Market Shaping Indicators

View Reall projects in Ghana

Reall has been active in Ghana since 2014, and is currently invested in Tamale, capital of the northern part of the region. Reall partnered with a private developer, Afreh Group, to deliver 100 homes for co-operative members of the Tamale Community Cooperative Union, and these homes were completed in December 2020. CAHF has undertaken various work with the support of local partners to support and contribute to the development of Ghana’s housing and housing finance sectors. Together with the Ghana yearbook profile, CAHF’s research is an important input into the broader Data Agenda work in Ghana—identifying key gaps in housing market data that would help create a better understanding of the housing ecosystem, for more targeted interventions and policy.

Country Overview

In December 2020, Ghana concluded tightly contested elections with the looming challenge of tackling high levels of unemployment and boosting the economy which has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The mortgage system in the country is at an elementary stage of development but appears promising as the government has pledged commitment to make housing financing available.

The government has set up the National Housing and Mortgage Fund (NHMF) in partnership with Ghana Commercial Bank, Republic Bank and Stanbic Bank to deepen access to mortgage and residential housing finance. The 2015 National Housing Policy continues to provide direction for housing development in the country, with emphasis on the private sector involvement in affordable housing finance and delivery. Similarly, through the NHMF partnering with GCB Securities, an Affordable Housing Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) was set up to provide rental homes for public sector workers. Looking forward, Ghana’s enabling environment and growing population makes it a fertile place for potential investors to contribute meaningfully to addressing a national issue by investing in the housing sector.

State of Housing Data

Data on housing is sparse and those available are often dated. The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) collects and publishes data on housing after conducting the population and housing census, which is undertaken every decade. Due to the pandemic the census, which was to be conducted in 2020, has been postponed to 2021. The data covered by GSS includes housing and land access, demand and supply, housing finance and infrastructure, and access to basic service. The Bank of Ghana’s data on housing finance is very limited and only focuses on mortgage rates. This information is publicly available online. The main data gaps related to housing finance include yearly housing stock increase, number of mortgages outstanding, mortgage loan performance, average property values, loan to value ratios, and disaggregated data on mortgages by region among others.

Closing data gaps requires more detailed scoping and engagement with Ghana Statistical Services, Bank of Ghana, Ministry of Works and Housing and the Lands Commission, to get a better understanding of the Ghanaian data landscape. For example, the aggregation of its macroeconomic and financial sector data limits the understanding and analysis of the economic impact of the housing sector. In some cases, gaps can be resolved by simply requiring the dissemination of data that is already collected by these institutions.

Text on this page is based on the MSI Ghana Country Profile ¹, drawn from Centre for Affordable Housing Finance (2020). Housing Finance in Africa Yearbook: 11th Edition 2020 ², with additional content from CAHF and Reall.

Key Indicators

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1. Land & Infrastructure

% of urban bottom 40 households without access to basic sanitation services

93.15

Bottom 40 See all MSI countries
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Country Year Data Source Value
Cote d'Ivoire 2012 DHS 96.5%
Ghana 2014 DHS 93.15%
Kenya 2014 DHS 88.25%
Morocco 2004 DHS 52.05%
Mozambique 2011 DHS 95.6%
Nigeria 2018 DHS 83.1%
Tanzania 2017 DHS 37%
Uganda 2016 DHS 94.5%
Rwanda 2016 National Institute of Statistics Rwanda (NISR) 13.13%
Pakistan 2018 The DHS Program 2.75%
India 2018 NSSO 76th Round 0.2%

2. Construction & Investment

% of urban population living in slums, informal settlements, or inadequate dwellings

30.4

Urban See all MSI countries
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Country Year Data Source Value
Cote d'Ivoire N/A
Ghana N/A
Kenya N/A
Morocco N/A
Mozambique N/A
Nigeria N/A
Tanzania N/A
Uganda N/A
Rwanda 2018 World Bank 42.1%
Pakistan N/A
India 2018 NSSO 76th Round 35%

3. Sales & Rental

Price of the cheapest, newly built dwelling by a formal developer or contractor

108,704 GH₵$19,621.66

Urban See all MSI countries
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Country Year Data Source Value
Cote d'Ivoire 2018 Site d'annonce et promotion dans l'immobilier en Côte d'Ivoire 15,500,000 CFA$27,087.48
Ghana 2019 Damax Construction Co. Ltd 108,704 GH₵$19,621.66
Kenya 2019 Tsavo Real Estate 4,000,000 Ksh$37,037.04
Morocco 2019 Various real estate websites 250,000 DH$27,027.03
Mozambique 2016 Casa Minha 3,418,491 MZ$48,147.76
Nigeria 2019 Millard Fuller Foundation; Shelter Origins 2,900,000 NGN$7,651.72
Tanzania 2018 CAHF 37,966,107 TZS$16,508.58
Uganda 2019 Various property developers 125,000,000 UGX$34,097.11
Rwanda 2020 Marchal Real Estate Developers 10,000,000 R₣$11,119.14
Pakistan 2021 Partners 2,500,000 PKR$14,305.33
India 2022 Real estate websites and industry experts 160,000 IN₹$2,176.87

3. Sales & Rental

% of national households that rent their dwelling

28

National See all MSI countries
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Country Year Data Source Value
Ghana 2017 Ghana Statistical Service 28%
Kenya 2019 Central Bank of Kenya, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, FSD Kenya 35.01%
Morocco 2014 High Commission for Planning; World Bank 18.5%
Nigeria 2018 World Bank; Nigeria National Bureau of Statistics 21.8%
Tanzania 2017 National Bureau of Statistics 80.56%
Uganda 2016 DHS 53.45%
Rwanda 2020 Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR) and National Institute of Statistics Rwanda (NISR) 8.94%
Pakistan 2017 Population and Housing Census 11.53%
India 2018 NSSO 76th Round 13%

5. Enabling Environment

Ease of Doing Business Index Rank: Global

118

National See all MSI countries
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Country Year Data Source Value
Cote d'Ivoire 2020 World Bank 110
Ghana 2020 World Bank 118
Kenya 2019 World Bank Ease of Doing Business 61
Morocco 2020 World Bank 53
Mozambique 2019 World Bank 74
Nigeria 2020 World Bank 131
Tanzania 2020 World Bank 141
Uganda 2020 World Bank 116
Rwanda 2020 World Bank Ease of Doing Business Indicators 38 out of 190
Pakistan 2020 World Bank Doing Business Indicator 108 out of 190
India 2020 World Bank 63 out of 190

6. Economic Environment

GDP Per Capita

11,489 GH₵$2,073.83

National See all MSI countries
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Country Year Data Source Value
Cote d'Ivoire 2018 World Bank 1,024,171 CFA$1,789.82
Ghana 2019 World Bank 11,489 GH₵$2,073.83
Kenya 2018 World Bank 173,272 Ksh$1,604.37
Morocco 2018 World Bank 30,725 DH$3,321.62
Mozambique 2018 World Bank 30,772 MZ$433.41
Nigeria 2018 World Bank 659,159 NGN$1,739.21
Tanzania 2018 National Bureau of Statistics; World Bank 2,297,020 TZS$998.80
Uganda 2018 World Bank 2,357,327 UGX$643.02
Rwanda 2019 World Bank 737,578.59 R₣$820.12
Pakistan 2020 World Bank National Accounts Data 188,900 PKR$1,080.91
India 2020 Ministry of Statistics and Program Implementation 151,760 IN₹$2,064.76

7. Demand

Population Size

30,417,856

National See all MSI countries
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Country Year Data Source Value
Cote d'Ivoire 2017 World Bank 24,437,469
Ghana 2019 World Bank 30,417,856
Kenya 2017 World Bank 50,221,473
Morocco 2017 World Bank 36,471,769
Mozambique 2018 World Bank 29,495,962
Nigeria 2017 World Bank 190,873,311
Tanzania 2019 World Bank 58,005,463
Uganda 2017 World Bank 41,487,000
Rwanda 2019 World Bank 12,626,950
Pakistan 2020 World Bank National Accounts Data 220,892,331
India 2021 Minsitry of Health and Family Welfare 1,361,343,000
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All Indicators

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    Guide 1. Land & Infrastructure 2. Construction & Investment 3. Sales & Rental 4. Maintenance & Management 5. Enabling Environment 6. Economic Environment 7. Demand

    The Market Shaping Indicators project is a work in progress. Significant gaps exist in data, which will be filled in future revisions. We would recommend checking back regularly for updates. We are keen to receive any feedback that you have on this Dashboard, which can be sent to [email protected].

    Using the Dashboard

    The indicators are split into 6 key areas, split into the Housing Value Chain: Land & Infrastructure, Construction & Investment, Sales & Rental, Maintenance & Management, Enabling Environment, Economic Environment and Demand, shown in the following tabs. Navigation can either be undertaken by using the tabs, or through the Search box immediately above. Above this, currency indicators can be toggled between USD and local currency.

    Users are able to further interrogate each indicator each indicator through clicking on the arrows to the left of each indicator. This expanded section shows the data elements that are used to produce the overall indicator value, dates of data collection, source details, hyperlinks to the original data where possible, and a breakdown of data quality. The majority of indicators are quality assessed, based on the whether they are: Interpretable; Relevant; Sufficiently Accurate; Representative; Timely; and Accessible. Indicators are scored on each of these criteria using a 1-4 star system, detailed below:

    ☆ – poor

    ☆☆ – moderate

    ☆☆☆ – good

    ☆☆☆☆ – excellent

    Finally, all data can be downloaded for further interrogation. By clicking on Switch to Data View at the top of the screen, users can filter data based on countries and columns, and download in a .csv or .xls file.

    Bottom 40

    Reall targets the Bottom 40% of the urban income pyramid, referred to as the ‘Bottom 40’ or ‘B40’. An objective of the MSI work was to better understand and demonstrate the market from the perspective of households in the Bottom 40, and as such data is aggregated for this group where possible. Data for this group can be particularly challenging to come across. In part, this is due to the difficulties in accurately defining this group using existing data sets. Additionally though, the informality of much of life for lower income groups severely limits data availability, particularly in terms of key data on jobs, housing and relationships with local government. This lack of data is a key blockage for further engagement at the lower end of the housing market, and resolving this is an objective of Reall’s and of the MSI work.

    Aggregations

    Data is shown at various different “aggregations”, which demonstrate the size and location of the population for which the data represents. This varies from national to city level in terms of population groupings. Additional aggregations exist for the Bottom 40, as detailed above, enabling a focused view on the lower end of the market.

    For relevant data, Reall’s partners are also included as an aggregation. This is not meant to be representative of the entire market, but recognises that as practitioners and experts within the lower end of the housing market of each country, their experiences are a useful check on other data sets, and an indication of the value when other data is not available.

    Terms of Use

    Reall Ltd (“Reall”) endeavours to make its data as freely available as possible in order to demonstrate the successes of its model and encourage other actors into the affordable homes movement. Reall provides the user with access to these data free of charge subject to the terms of this agreement.

    Users are encouraged to use the data to benefit themselves and others in creative ways.

    Unless specifically labelled otherwise, you are free to copy, distribute, adapt, display or include the data in other products for commercial or non-commercial purposes for no cost under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, with the additional terms below.  The basic terms may be accessed here. By using or downloading the data, users are agreeing to comply with the terms of a CC BY 4.0 licence, and also agreeing to the following mandatory and binding additions:

    – You agree to provide attribution to Reall in any published use of the data, including but not limited to articles, papers, blogs, books. Usage includes both direct publication of the existing data, along with any analysis undertaken by the user. This attribution should include Reall’s name and the following link – reall.net/dashboard. An electronic copy of all reports and publications based on the data should be shared with Reall ([email protected]).

    – When sharing or facilitating access to the data, you agree to include the same acknowledgement requirement in any sub-licences of the data that you grant, and a requirement that any sub-licences do the same. You may meet this requirement by providing the uniform resource locator (URL) to these terms of use.

    – Some datasets and indicators may be provided by third parties, and may not be redistributed or reused without the consent of the original data provider, or may be subject to additional terms and conditions. Where applicable, third party data is labelled as such, and usage conditions can be found on their respective websites.

    Land

    Land ownership is generally recognised under the two categories of customary and public lands. Customary lands are owned by stools, skins, families, or clans with the respective group leaders holding the lands in trust for the benefit of the members. Public lands are acquired and vested in the President of Ghana for the common good of the country. However, private ownership of lands can be acquired through grants, sale, gift or marriage ¹.

    Land tenure insecurity is prominent in both the urban and rural areas of Ghana, evident in the forms of land encroachment, multiple land sales, unapproved development schemes, undetermined boundaries of customary lands, conflicting land uses between mining and agriculture sectors, and weak systems to manage such conflicts. As a result, the Ghanaian land market is dysfunctional with low levels of investment in land, owing to high transaction costs and sustained rural and urban poverty ². Efforts to enhance transparency and efficiency of land administration led to plans to digitise the land registry in 2018. It is estimated that 71 167 residential properties are registered with a title deed. The Land Registration Division of the Lands Commission is responsible for registration of title, deed and other interests or instruments affecting land.

     

     

    Infrastructure

    Rural to urban migration in search of employment opportunities has contributed to many Ghanaians living in substandard housing that lacks access to basic infrastructure, such as water, electricity and waste management. Transport as a percentage of household expenditure (10 percent) was the second highest key driver of inflation behind housing, water, electricity, and gas (20.3 percent) in July 2020. Access to basic infrastructure and services varies greatly within and across urban and rural areas, and requires the disaggregation and analysis of relevant data to support interventions.

    Lack of access to basic sanitation services is a major challenge at the national level (82 percent lacking access) and for the urban bottom 40 of the income pyramid (93 percent). With ongoing rapid urbanisation, this poses a health risk particularly for the low-income populations. More than half (56 percent) of the urban bottom 40 households are without access to basic electricity compared to the overall population figure of 18 percent.

    To reduce the hardships brought about by the pandemic, the government absorbed utility bills on water for households and businesses. Water was mobilised for vulnerable communities who did not have constant supply. In addition, electricity bills for lifeline consumers of electricity who consume less than 50 kilowatt hours a month, were fully absorbed while all others had half of their electricity bill absorbed.

    Of the 23 indicators in this group, 6 are currently populated.

    Indicator Data Source Aggregation Year Data Quality Data Accessibility Value
    Regulated minimum size of a residential plot in urban areas in square meters
    i
    The minimum size of a residential plot in urban areas in square meters as per legislation/regulation.
    		 Town and Country Planning Department Urban 2011
    		110
    Total number of residential properties with a title deed
    i
    The total number of residential properties that have a title deed as per the deeds registry.
    		 Lands Commission National 2017
    		71,167
    % of households without access to improved drinking water services
    i
    The share of households without access to improved drinking water services. According to DHS 7, these include: piped into dwelling piped to yard/plot; public tap/standpipe; piped to neighbour; tube well or borehole; protected well; protected spring; rainwater; tanker truck, cart with small tank; bottled water
    		 World Bank National 2017
    		18.55%
    DHS Bottom 40 2014
    		39.40%
    % of households without access to improved sanitation services
    i
    The share of households without access to an improved sanitation facility. According to DHS 7, these include: flush - to piped sewer system; flush - to septic tank; flush - to pit latrine; flush - don't know where; pit latrine - ventilated improved pit (VIP); pit latrine - with slab; composting toilet
    		 World Bank National 2017
    		81.53%
    DHS Bottom 40 2014
    		93.15%
    % of households without access to electricity
    i
    The share of households without access to electricity in their dwelling.
    		 World Bank National 2018
    		17.60%
    DHS Bottom 40 2014
    		55.85%
    Transport as a % of household expenditure
    i
    Expenditure on transport as a share of total household expenditure.
    		 Ghana Statistical Service National 2020
    		10.10%
    Smallest residential plot size
    i
    The smallest plot size (in square meters) available in a residential development by a developer / contractor.
    		 - - -
    Average land costs per m2
    i
    The average cost per square meter of unserviced land that is zoned for residential development in urban areas.
    		 - - -
    % of land for residential development acquired from the private sector
    i
    Percentage of land acquired from the private sector by formal developers / contractors for residential developments in urban areas out of all the land that they acquired for residential developments in urban areas.
    		 - - -
    World Bank DBI geographic coverage index score ranking: Africa
    i
    The rank of the country's score on the World Bank's geographic coverage index within Africa. The geographic coverage index has four components: (1) How complete the coverage of the land registry is at the level of the largest business city. A score of 2 is assigned if all privately held land plots in the city are formally registered at the land registry; 0 if not. (2) How complete the coverage of the land registry is at the level of the economy. A score of 2 is assigned if all privately held land plots in the economy are formally registered at the land registry; 0 if not. (3) How complete the coverage of the mapping agency is at the level of the largest business city. A score of 2 is assigned if all privately held land plots in the city are mapped; 0 if not. (4) How complete the coverage of the mapping agency is at the level of the economy. A score of 2 is assigned if all privately held land plots in the economy are mapped; 0 if not. (5) The index ranges from 0 to 8, with higher values indicating greater geographic coverage in land ownership registration and cadastral mapping.
    		 - - -
    World Bank DBI geographic coverage index score ranking: Global
    i
    The global rank of the country's score on the World Bank's geographic coverage index. The geographic coverage index has four components: (1) How complete the coverage of the land registry is at the level of the largest business city. A score of 2 is assigned if all privately held land plots in the city are formally registered at the land registry; 0 if not. (2) How complete the coverage of the land registry is at the level of the economy. A score of 2 is assigned if all privately held land plots in the economy are formally registered at the land registry; 0 if not. (3) How complete the coverage of the mapping agency is at the level of the largest business city. A score of 2 is assigned if all privately held land plots in the city are mapped; 0 if not. (4) How complete the coverage of the mapping agency is at the level of the economy. A score of 2 is assigned if all privately held land plots in the economy are mapped; 0 if not. The index ranges from 0 to 8, with higher values indicating greater geographic coverage in land ownership registration and cadastral mapping.
    		 - - -
    World Bank DBI quality of land administration index ranking: Africa
    i
    The rank of the country's score on the World Bank's quality of land administration index within Africa. The quality of land administration index is composed of five other indices: the reliability of infrastructure, transparency of information, geographic coverage, land dispute resolution and equal access to property rights. Data are collected for each economys largest business city.
    		 - - -
    World Bank DBI quality of land administration index ranking: Global
    i
    The global rank of the country's score on the World Bank's quality of land administration index. The quality of land administration index is composed of five other indices: the reliability of infrastructure, transparency of information, geographic coverage, land dispute resolution and equal access to property rights. Data are collected for each economys largest business city.
    		 - - -
    Number of procedures to register residential property - - -
    Name of residential property registration procedure that takes the longest to complete
    i
    The name of the procedure that takes the longest to complete out of all procedures required to register residential property. Assumptions about the sellers property: Is fully owned by the seller. Has no mortgages attached and has been under the same ownership for the past 10 years. Is registered in the land registry or cadastre, or both, and is free of title disputes. Is located in an urban residential zone and no rezoning is required. The property, consisting of land and a dwelling, will be transferred in its entirety. The dwelling is in good condition, complies with all safety standards, building codes and other legal requirements. The property will not be subject to renovations or additional construction following the purchase. Has no trees, natural water sources, natural reserves or historical monuments of any kind. Will not be used for special purposes, and no special permits are required. Has no occupants, and no other party holds a legal interest in it. Assumptions about procedures: A procedure is defined as any interaction of the buyer, the seller or their agents (if an agent is legally or in practice required) with external parties, including government agencies, inspectors, public notaries, architects, surveyors, among others. Interactions between company officers and employees are not considered. All procedures that are legally or in practice required for registering property are recorded, even if they may be avoided in exceptional cases. Each electronic procedure is counted as a separate procedure. Payment of capital gains tax can be counted as a separate procedure. If a procedure can be accelerated legally for an additional cost, the fastest procedure is chosen if that option is used by the majority of property owners. Although the buyer may use lawyers or other professionals where necessary in the registration process, it is assumed that the buyer does not employ an outside facilitator in the registration process unless legally or in practice required to do so. Assumptions about time: Time is recorded in calendar days. The measure captures the median duration that property lawyers, notaries or registry officials indicate is necessary to complete a procedure. It is assumed that the minimum time required for each procedure is one day, except for procedures that can be fully completed online, for which the time required is recorded as half a day. Although procedures may take place simultaneously, they cannot start on the same day (again except for procedures that can be fully completed online). It is assumed that the buyer does not waste time and commits to completing each remaining procedure without delay. If a procedure can be accelerated for an additional cost, the fastest legal procedure available and used by the majority of property owners is chosen. It is assumed that the parties involved are aware of all requirements and their sequence from the beginning. Time spent on gathering information is not considered. If time estimates differ among sources, the median reported value is used.
    		 - - -
    Time to register residential property (days)
    i
    The total time taken in days to complete all of the procedures required to register residential property. Assumptions about the sellers property: Is fully owned by the seller. Has no mortgages attached and has been under the same ownership for the past 10 years. Is registered in the land registry or cadastre, or both, and is free of title disputes. Is located in an urban residential zone and no rezoning is required. The property, consisting of land and a dwelling, will be transferred in its entirety. The dwelling is in good condition, complies with all safety standards, building codes and other legal requirements. The property will not be subject to renovations or additional construction following the purchase. Has no trees, natural water sources, natural reserves or historical monuments of any kind. Will not be used for special purposes, and no special permits are required. Has no occupants, and no other party holds a legal interest in it. Assumptions about procedures: A procedure is defined as any interaction of the buyer, the seller or their agents (if an agent is legally or in practice required) with external parties, including government agencies, inspectors, public notaries, architects, surveyors, among others. Interactions between company officers and employees are not considered. All procedures that are legally or in practice required for registering property are recorded, even if they may be avoided in exceptional cases. Each electronic procedure is counted as a separate procedure. Payment of capital gains tax can be counted as a separate procedure. If a procedure can be accelerated legally for an additional cost, the fastest procedure is chosen if that option is used by the majority of property owners. Although the buyer may use lawyers or other professionals where necessary in the registration process, it is assumed that the buyer does not employ an outside facilitator in the registration process unless legally or in practice required to do so. Assumptions about time: Time is recorded in calendar days. The measure captures the median duration that property lawyers, notaries or registry officials indicate is necessary to complete a procedure. It is assumed that the minimum time required for each procedure is one day, except for procedures that can be fully completed online, for which the time required is recorded as half a day. Although procedures may take place simultaneously, they cannot start on the same day (again except for procedures that can be fully completed online). It is assumed that the buyer does not waste time and commits to completing each remaining procedure without delay. If a procedure can be accelerated for an additional cost, the fastest legal procedure available and used by the majority of property owners is chosen. It is assumed that the parties involved are aware of all requirements and their sequence from the beginning. Time spent on gathering information is not considered. If time estimates differ among sources, the median reported value is used.
    		 - - -
    Cost to register residential property
    i
    The total cost to register residential property as a percentage of the value of the property. Assumptions about the sellers property: Is fully owned by the seller. Has no mortgages attached and has been under the same ownership for the past 10 years. Is registered in the land registry or cadastre, or both, and is free of title disputes. Is located in an urban residential zone and no rezoning is required. The property, consisting of land and a dwelling, will be transferred in its entirety. The dwelling is in good condition, complies with all safety standards, building codes and other legal requirements. The property will not be subject to renovations or additional construction following the purchase. Has no trees, natural water sources, natural reserves or historical monuments of any kind. Will not be used for special purposes, and no special permits are required. Has no occupants, and no other party holds a legal interest in it. Assumptions about procedures: A procedure is defined as any interaction of the buyer, the seller or their agents (if an agent is legally or in practice required) with external parties, including government agencies, inspectors, public notaries, architects, surveyors, among others. Interactions between company officers and employees are not considered. All procedures that are legally or in practice required for registering property are recorded, even if they may be avoided in exceptional cases. Each electronic procedure is counted as a separate procedure. Payment of capital gains tax can be counted as a separate procedure. If a procedure can be accelerated legally for an additional cost, the fastest procedure is chosen if that option is used by the majority of property owners. Although the buyer may use lawyers or other professionals where necessary in the registration process, it is assumed that the buyer does not employ an outside facilitator in the registration process unless legally or in practice required to do so. Assumptions about time: Time is recorded in calendar days. The measure captures the median duration that property lawyers, notaries or registry officials indicate is necessary to complete a procedure. It is assumed that the minimum time required for each procedure is one day, except for procedures that can be fully completed online, for which the time required is recorded as half a day. Although procedures may take place simultaneously, they cannot start on the same day (again except for procedures that can be fully completed online). It is assumed that the buyer does not waste time and commits to completing each remaining procedure without delay. If a procedure can be accelerated for an additional cost, the fastest legal procedure available and used by the majority of property owners is chosen. It is assumed that the parties involved are aware of all requirements and their sequence from the beginning. Time spent on gathering information is not considered. If time estimates differ among sources, the median reported value is used. Assumptions about the cost of the property: Cost is recorded as a percentage of the property value, assumed to be equivalent to 50 times income per capita. Only official costs required by law are recorded, including fees, transfer taxes, stamp duties and any other payment to the property registry, notaries, public agencies or lawyers. Other taxes, such as capital gains tax or value added tax (VAT), are excluded from the cost measure. However, in economies where transfer tax can be substituted by VAT, transfer tax will be recorded instead. Both costs borne by the buyer and the seller are included. If cost estimates differ among sources, the median reported value is used.
    		 - - -
    World Bank DBI transparency of information index ranking: Africa
    i
    The rank of the country's score on the World Bank's transparency of information index within Africa. The transparency of information index has 10 components: (1) Whether information on land ownership is made publicly available. A score of 1 is assigned if information on land ownership is accessible by anyone; 0 if access is restricted. (2) Whether the list of documents required for completing all types of property transactions is made easily available to the public. A score of 0.5 is assigned if the list of documents is easily accessible online or on a public board; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (3) Whether the fee schedule for completing all types of property transactions is made easily available to the public. A score of 0.5 is assigned if the fee schedule is easily accessible online or on a public board free of charge; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (4) Whether the immovable property agency formally specifies the time frame to deliver a legally binding document proving property ownership. A score of 0.5 is assigned if such service standard is accessible online or on a public board; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (5) Whether there is a specific and independent mechanism for filing complaints about a problem that occurred at the agency in charge of immovable property registration. A score of 1 is assigned if there is a specific and independent mechanism for filing a complaint; 0 if there is only a general mechanism or no mechanism. (6) Whether there are publicly available official statistics tracking the number of transactions at the immovable property registration agency in the largest business city. A score of 0.5 is assigned if statistics are published about property transfers in the largest business city in the past calendar year at the latest on May 1st of the following year; 0 if no such statistics are made publicly available. (7) Whether maps of land plots are made publicly available. A score of 0.5 is assigned if cadastral plans are accessible by anyone; 0 if access is restricted. (8) Whether the fee schedule for accessing cadastral plans is made easily available to the public. A score of 0.5 is assigned if the fee schedule is easily accessible online or on a public board free of charge; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (9) Whether the mapping agency formally specifies the time frame to deliver an updated cadastral plan. A score of 0.5 is assigned if the service standard is accessible online or on a public board; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (10) Whether there is a specific and independent mechanism for filing complaints about a problem that occurred at the mapping agency. A score of 0.5 is assigned if there is a specific and independent mechanism for filing a complaint; 0 if there is only a general mechanism or no mechanism. The index ranges from 0 to 6, with higher values indicating greater transparency in the land administration system.
    		 - - -
    World Bank DBI transparency of information index ranking: Global
    i
    The global rank of the country's score on the World Bank's transparency of information index. The transparency of information index has 10 components: (1) Whether information on land ownership is made publicly available. A score of 1 is assigned if information on land ownership is accessible by anyone; 0 if access is restricted. (2) Whether the list of documents required for completing all types of property transactions is made easily available to the public. A score of 0.5 is assigned if the list of documents is easily accessible online or on a public board; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (3) Whether the fee schedule for completing all types of property transactions is made easily available to the public. A score of 0.5 is assigned if the fee schedule is easily accessible online or on a public board free of charge; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (4) Whether the immovable property agency formally specifies the time frame to deliver a legally binding document proving property ownership. A score of 0.5 is assigned if such service standard is accessible online or on a public board; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (5) Whether there is a specific and independent mechanism for filing complaints about a problem that occurred at the agency in charge of immovable property registration. A score of 1 is assigned if there is a specific and independent mechanism for filing a complaint; 0 if there is only a general mechanism or no mechanism. (6) Whether there are publicly available official statistics tracking the number of transactions at the immovable property registration agency in the largest business city. A score of 0.5 is assigned if statistics are published about property transfers in the largest business city in the past calendar year at the latest on May 1st of the following year; 0 if no such statistics are made publicly available. (7) Whether maps of land plots are made publicly available. A score of 0.5 is assigned if cadastral plans are accessible by anyone; 0 if access is restricted. (8) Whether the fee schedule for accessing cadastral plans is made easily available to the public. A score of 0.5 is assigned if the fee schedule is easily accessible online or on a public board free of charge; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (9) Whether the mapping agency formally specifies the time frame to deliver an updated cadastral plan. A score of 0.5 is assigned if the service standard is accessible online or on a public board; 0 if it is not made available to the public or if it can be obtained only in person. (10) Whether there is a specific and independent mechanism for filing complaints about a problem that occurred at the mapping agency. A score of 0.5 is assigned if there is a specific and independent mechanism for filing a complaint; 0 if there is only a general mechanism or no mechanism. The index ranges from 0 to 6, with higher values indicating greater transparency in the land administration system.
    		 - - -
    % of residential development projects where developers are paying for bulk infrastructure or the building of roads
    i
    The share of site-based residential development projects in urban areas that are currently ongoing and have not yet been completed where the developer has had to provide bulk infrastructure or build roads. This indicator does not include projects where construction occurred on multiple individual plots in an existing community. Bulk infrastructure includes the provision of electrical and water mains connections to a site/plot. Road building includes all roads built to connect to a municipal roadway.
    		 - - -
    % of households living in dwellings built using durable building materials (walls and roof) with inadequate services
    i
    The share of households living in dwellings where the main material of the walls and roof are finished, but the household does not have access to improved water services, improved sanitation facilities, or electricity. The definition of finished materials are as per the latest DHS questionnaire. Some of these may be country specific, but the major categories are standard. In DHS 7, finished wall materials included: cement; stone with lime/cement; bricks; cement blocks; covered adobe; wood planks/shingles. In DHS 7, finished roof materials included: metal/zinc; wood; calamine/cement fibre; ceramic tiles; cement; roofing shingles. According to DHS 7, improved water services include: piped into dwelling piped to yard/plot; public tap/standpipe; piped to neighbour; tube well or borehole; protected well; protected spring; rainwater; tanker truck, cart with small tank; bottled water. According to DHS 7, improved sanitation facilities include: flush - to piped sewer system; flush - to septic tank; flush - to pit latrine; flush - don't know where; pit latrine - ventilated improved pit (VIP); pit latrine - with slab; composting toilet.
    		 - - -
    World Bank DBI Reliability of infrastructure index ranking: Africa
    i
    The rank of the country's score on the World Bank's reliability of infrastructure index within Africa. The reliability of infrastructure index has six components: (1) In what format land title certificates are kept at the immovable property registry of the largest business city of the economy. A score of 2 is assigned if the majority of land title certificates are fully digital; 1 if scanned; 0 if kept in paper format. (2) Whether there is a comprehensive and functional electronic database for checking all encumbrances, caveats, charges or privileges affecting a registered propertys encumbrances. A score of 1 is assigned if yes; 0 if no. (3) In what format cadastral plans are kept at the mapping agency of the largest business city of the economy. A score of 2 is assigned if the majority of cadastral plans are fully digital; 1 if scanned; 0 if kept in paper format. (4) Whether there is a geographic information system (a fully digital geographic representation of the land plot) an electronic database for recording boundaries, checking plans and providing cadastral information. A score of 1 is assigned if yes; 0 if no. (5) Whether the land ownership registry and mapping agency are linked. A score of 1 is assigned if information about land ownership and maps is kept in a single database or in linked databases; 0 if there is no connection between different databases. (6) How immovable property is identified. A score of 1 is assigned if both the immovable property registry and the mapping agency use the same identification number for properties; 0 if there are multiple identifiers. The index ranges from 0 to 8, with higher values indicating a higher quality of infrastructure for ensuring the reliability of information on property titles and boundaries.
    		 - - -
    World Bank DBI Reliability of infrastructure index ranking: Global
    i
    The global rank of the country's score on the World Bank's reliability of infrastructure index. The reliability of infrastructure index has six components: (1) In what format land title certificates are kept at the immovable property registry of the largest business city of the economy. A score of 2 is assigned if the majority of land title certificates are fully digital; 1 if scanned; 0 if kept in paper format. (2) Whether there is a comprehensive and functional electronic database for checking all encumbrances, caveats, charges or privileges affecting a registered propertys encumbrances. A score of 1 is assigned if yes; 0 if no. (3) In what format cadastral plans are kept at the mapping agency of the largest business city of the economy. A score of 2 is assigned if the majority of cadastral plans are fully digital; 1 if scanned; 0 if kept in paper format. (4) Whether there is a geographic information system (a fully digital geographic representation of the land plot) an electronic database for recording boundaries, checking plans and providing cadastral information. A score of 1 is assigned if yes; 0 if no. (5) Whether the land ownership registry and mapping agency are linked. A score of 1 is assigned if information about land ownership and maps is kept in a single database or in linked databases; 0 if there is no connection between different databases. (6) How immovable property is identified. A score of 1 is assigned if both the immovable property registry and the mapping agency use the same identification number for properties; 0 if there are multiple identifiers. The index ranges from 0 to 8, with higher values indicating a higher quality of infrastructure for ensuring the reliability of information on property titles and boundaries.
    		 - - -

    Compound houses (57.3 percent) account for the highest typology of house occupied, followed by separate houses (28 percent), semidetached houses (4.7 percent), huts (4.8 percent) and flat/apartments (3.3 percent). Flats and apartments have not seen popular demand due to their relatively high cost and an entrenched socio-cultural preference for individualised spaces. However, recently there has been an emerging demand spurred by the expatriate community, and non-resident Ghanaians. They view these types of accommodation as more secure than the traditional approach of incremental construction on lands which are frequently subjected to multiple sales, ownership disputes and outright stealing.

    The average number of persons per house has seen a decrease since 1984, reflecting the increase in housing ownership due to improved economic conditions. In 2010, the average number of persons per house was 7.3. Based on the estimated 2020 housing stock, the average number of people per house is expected to have dropped further to 5.9. The number of people per sleeping room for urban formal and informal dwellings is 2.5 and 2.23 respectively. The figure is slightly higher for the Urban Bottom 40 of the population, with close to 3 people per sleeping room.

    Of the 19 indicators in this group, 6 are currently populated.

    Indicator Data Source Aggregation Year Data Quality Data Accessibility Value
    Number of people per sleeping room in formal dwellings
    i
    The number of people per sleeping room in formal dwellings. Sleeping rooms exclude kitchens, bathrooms, and garages. Formal dwellings are defined as dwellings where the main material used for the walls and roof of the dwelling are finished. The definition of finished materials are as per the latest DHS questionnaire. Some of these may be country specific, but the major categories are standard. In DHS 7, finished wall materials included: cement; stone with lime/cement; bricks; cement blocks; covered adobe; wood planks/shingles. In DHS 7, finished roof materials included: metal/zinc; wood; calamine/cement fibre; ceramic tiles; cement; roofing shingles.
    		 Ghana Statistical Service Urban 2017
    		2.50
    DHS Bottom 40 2014
    		2.66
    Number of people per sleeping room in informal dwellings
    i
    The number of people per sleeping room in informal dwellings. Sleeping rooms exclude kitchens, bathrooms, and garages. Informal dwellings are defined as dwellings where the main material used for the walls or roof of the dwelling are unfinished. The definition of finished materials are as per the latest DHS questionnaire. Some of these may be country specific, but the major categories are standard. The definition of finished materials are as per the latest DHS questionnaire. Some of these may be country specific, but the major categories are standard. In DHS 7, finished wall materials included: cement; stone with lime/cement; bricks; cement blocks; covered adobe; wood planks/shingles. In DHS 7, finished roof materials included: metal/zinc; wood; calamine/cement fibre; ceramic tiles; cement; roofing shingles.
    		 Ghana Statistical Service Urban 2017
    		2.23
    DHS Bottom 40 2014
    		2.66
    Number of households living in dwellings built using durable building materials (walls and roof)
    i
    The number of households living in dwellings where the main material of the walls and roof are finished. The definition of finished materials are as per the latest DHS questionnaire. Some of these may be country specific, but the major categories are standard. In DHS 7, finished wall materials included: cement; stone with lime/cement; bricks; cement blocks; covered adobe; wood planks/shingles. In DHS 7, finished roof materials included: metal/zinc; wood; calamine/cement fibre; ceramic tiles; cement; roofing shingles.
    		 Ghana Statistical Service National 2017
    		2,625,411
    % of population living in slums, informal settlements, or inadequate dwellings
    i
    The percentage of the population that are part of households whose main dwelling meets the criteria of a slum/inadequate/informal dwelling. A household living in a slum/inadequate dwelling/informal settlement is defined as a group of individuals living under the same roof lacking one or more of the following conditions: access to improved water, access to improved sanitation, sufficient living area, and durability of housing. As per the UN definition, access to improved water requires the household to have access to: Piped connection to house or plot OR Public stand pipe serving no more than 5 households OR Bore hole OR Protected dug well OR Protected spring OR Rain water collection OR Bottle water (new). As per the UN definition, access to improved sanitation requires the household to have access to: Direct connection to public sewer OR Direct connection to septic tank OR Poor flush latrine OR Ventilated improved pit latrine OR Pit latrine with slab (new). The sufficient living area requirement requires there to be less than 4 people per habitable room in the household's dwelling. Habitable rooms exclude kitchens, bathrooms, and garages. Durability of housing requires the main material of the walls, floor, and roof of the household's dwelling to be finished. The definition of finished materials are as per the latest DHS questionnaire. Some of these may be country specific, but the major categories are standard. In DHS 7, finished floor materials included: parquet or polished wood; vinyl or asphalt strips; ceramic tiles; cement; carpet/rug. In DHS 7, finished wall materials included: cement; stone with lime/cement; bricks; cement blocks; covered adobe; wood planks/shingles. In DHS 7, finished roof materials included: metal/zinc; wood; calamine/cement fibre; ceramic tiles; cement; roofing shingles.
    		 World Bank Urban 2018 Not rated Not rated 30.40%
    Size of the cheapest, newly built dwelling by a formal developer / contractor in an urban area in square meters
    i
    The size of the cheapest, newly built dwelling by a formal developer / contractor in an urban area in square meters.
    		 Damax Construction Urban 2019
    		55m2
    Cost of standard 50kg bag of cement
    i
    The wholesale price of a standard 50kg bag of OPC cement in local currency units. The strength class of the OPC cement should be 32.5N.
    		 GHACEM Co. Ltd National 2019
    		32.64 GH₵$5.89
    % of households living in dwellings built using durable building materials (walls and roof) that are overcrowded
    i
    The percentage of households living in dwellings where the main material of the walls and roof are finished and the dwelling is overcrowded. The definition of finished materials are as per the latest DHS questionnaire. Some of these may be country specific, but the major categories are standard. An overcrowded dwelling is one where there are more than two people per sleeping room. In DHS 7, finished wall materials included: cement; stone with lime/cement; bricks; cement blocks; covered adobe; wood planks/shingles. In DHS 7, finished roof materials included: metal/zinc; wood; calamine/cement fibre; ceramic tiles; cement; roofing shingles.
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    Number of dwellings completed annually
    i
    The number of new residential units completed per annum for which occupancy permits have been issued.
    		 - - -
    Gross fixed capital formation of dwellings as % of GDP
    i
    The value of capital invested in the formation of dwellings as a percentage of the country's Gross Domestic Product.
    		 - - -
    Residential rental sector as a % of GDP
    i
    The value of the rental sector as a percentage of the country's Gross Domestic Product.
    		 - - -
    Is there a body that organises developers / contractors?
    i
    A "Yes" or "No" answer whether or not a body exists that organises developers / contractors.
    		 - - -
    Number of formal private developers / contractors serving the bottom-end of the market
    i
    The total number of registered private developers or contractors that build dwellings affordable to the bottom-end of the market. Registered private developers / contractors refers to businesses that are privately owned (not owned by government) and have a valid business/operating permit/license. From a buying perspective, affordability for the bottom-end of the market requires the price of the dwellings to be such that the bottom end of the market (calculation methodology to be determined) can afford to purchase it at market borrowing terms or the terms offered by the developer/accessible through the developer. From a rental perspective, affordability for the bottom-end of the market requires the rental price of the dwellings built by the developer / contractor to be such that the monthly rent-to-income ratio of the dwelling does not exceed 30% of bottom end of market household incomes.
    		 - - -
    Number of people employed in the residential construction sector
    i
    The number of people employed in the residential construction sector as per CAHF's HEVC methodology.
    		 - - -
    Number of people employed in the residential rental sector
    i
    The number of people employed in the residential rental sector as per CAHF's HEVC methodology.
    		 - - -
    Number of completed developer built dwellings that are accessible to the bottom-end of the market
    i
    The total dwellings completed in the last calendar year that are affordable to the bottom-end of the market (calculation methodology to be determined). Completed dwellings are dwellings for which occupancy permits have been issued. From a buying perspective, affordability for the bottom-end of the market requires the price of the dwellings to be such that the bottom-end of the market households can afford to purchase it at market borrowing terms or the terms offered by the developer/accessible through the developer. From a rental perspective, affordability for the bottom-end of the market requires the rental price of the dwellings built by the developer / contractor to be such that the monthly rent-to-income ratio of the dwelling does not exceed 30% of the bottom-end of the market household incomes.
    		 - - -
    Average residential building cost inflation for dwellings over 5 years
    i
    The average annual residential building cost inflation for dwellings over five consecutive years.
    		 - - -
    Time (in days) from application to completion for dwellings in the main urban city
    i
    The median number of days (inclusive of weekends and public holidays) between the issuance of a building construction permit and the issuance of an occupancy permit for residential dwellings. A building construction permit provides developers / contractors with permission to commence construction on the proposed site / development. An occupancy permit provides certifies the dwelling as habitable.
    		 - - -
    Total cost of all residential construction permit-related procedures
    i
    The total cost of all permits (in local currency units) required for the construction of a residential dwelling and declaring it fit for occupancy. Assumptions about the developer/contractor, dwelling to be built, and water & sewerage connections: The developer is 100% domestically and privately owned; has five owners, none of whom is a legal entity. Has a licensed architect and a licensed engineer, both registered with the local association of architects or engineers. The developer is not assumed to have any other employees who are technical or licensed experts, such as geological or topographical experts. The developer owns the land on which the dwelling will be built and will sell the dwelling upon its completion. The dwelling will be used for residential purposes only. The dwelling will have a single storey, above ground, with a total constructed area of approximately XX square meters. The single storey will be XX meters high and will be located on a land plot of approximately XX square meters that is 100% owned by the developer. The dwelling is valued at XX times income per capita. The dwelling will have complete architectural and technical plans prepared by a licensed architect. If preparation of the plans requires such steps as obtaining further documentation or getting prior approvals from external agencies, these are counted as procedures. The dwelling will take XX weeks to construct (excluding all delays due to administrative and regulatory requirements). The water and sewerage connections of the dwelling will be XX meters from the existing water source and sewer tap. If there is no water delivery infrastructure in the economy, a borehole will be dug. If there is no sewerage infrastructure, a septic tank in the smallest size available will be installed or built. The water connection for the dwelling will be XX inch in diameter and the sewerage connection for the dwelling will be XX inches in diameter.
    		 - - -

    Property Markets

    The largest proportion of households in Ghana (42.1 percent) own their dwelling while 29.7 percent are living rent-free. Rent paying occupants account for 27.6 percent while perching and squatting account for a combined 0.5 percent ¹. Many Ghanaians prefer to build and own their houses incrementally, which accounts for the widespread horizontal development that has led to urban sprawl.

    The housing market, segmented into the formal and informal, has a high share of informal activity made up of actors who acquire their own land and engage the services of tradesmen to build incrementally, based on resource availability. This allows for affordable construction but may affect the quality. Formal developers have often focused on the middle to high income segment of the housing market, with only a few catering to the low income segment.

    The real estate sector witnessed appreciable gains as its contribution increased from 1.0 percent of GDP in 2013 to 2.7 percent in 2019 ². This represents an annual growth rate of 0.25 percent from 2013 to 2019. Despite the presence of formal real estate developers catering to the lower income segment, the prices of houses are often beyond the means of low-income earners as the buildings are priced in foreign currency. There is currently no formal recognition for the practice of estate agency in Ghana.

    The annual housing growth rate of the decade up to and including 2010 was 4.4 percent ³. This resulted in a total housing stock of 3 392 745 in 2010 and an estimated figure of 5 218 626 in 2020, assuming a compounded annual rate.

     

     

     

    Mortgages

    Ghana’s financial sector broadly comprises the banking and the non-banking systems with insurance and capital markets as the components of the non-banking system. Currently, 23 banks operate as universal banks, a significant reduction from the 34 banks that operated before the implementation of the new minimum capital requirement ⁴. FNB Bank, Republic Bank, Cal Bank, Stanbic Bank, Fidelity Bank, Société Générale Ghana and Omni Bank offer a range of mortgage products including home construction, home purchase, home improvement, refinancing, and land purchase. Ghana has low levels of financial inclusion of individuals with only 10.2 percent of the adult population having borrowed formally in 2017.

    Mortgage to GDP ratio has remained below 0.5 percent over the years, with 0.8 percent of households financing their housing acquisition through mortgages ⁵. On average, mortgages in Ghana are granted for a term of 15 years with a maximum loan-to-value ratio of 85 percent. In 2017, total mortgages in Ghana amounted to GH ¢114 million (US$19 789 042) which grew to GH ¢216 million (US$37 495 028) in 2018, a 90 percent increment. The rate of non-performing loans in 2019 was 13.9 percent, depicting a significant improvement in performance from 18.2 percent 2018 ⁶.

    Affordability

    The price offered by Damax Construction for its lowest price house is GH ¢ 115,400 (US$20,000). This is against a national average annual income of GH ¢ 33,937 (US$5,891). In Accra, it has been observed that land price appreciation of building lands ranged from 8 to 11.5 percent between 2018 and 2019 ⁷.

    Often, the high interest charged on mortgages by the various mortgage and financial institutions deters workers from applying, and they prefer to use the equity of personal loans and other income sources.

    Of the 40 indicators in this group, 14 are currently populated.

    Indicator Data Source Aggregation Year Data Quality Data Accessibility Value
    Price of the cheapest, newly built dwelling by a formal developer or contractor
    i
    The price of the cheapest, newly built dwelling by a formal developer or contractor in local currency units.
    		 Damax Construction Co. Ltd Urban 2019
    		108,704 GH₵$19,621.66
    % of households that own their dwelling
    i
    The share of households that claim to own their dwelling.
    		 Ghana Statistical Service National 2017
    		42.10%
    DHS Bottom 40 2017
    		28.96%
    Typical rental price for cheapest, newly built dwelling by a formal developer or contractor
    i
    The typical rental price per month in local currency units for a dwelling that matches the price and size characteristics provided by the "Price of the cheapest, newly built dwelling by a formal developer / contractor in an urban area in square meters" and "Size of the cheapest, newly built dwelling by a formal developer / contractor in an urban area in square meters" indicators.
    		 Meqasa Urban 2019
    		3,264 GH₵$589.17
    % of households that rent their dwelling
    i
    The share of households that claim to rent their dwelling.
    		 Ghana Statistical Service National 2017
    		28.00%
    Number of formal estate agents
    i
    The total number of registered real estate agents that are subject to regulatory oversight.
    		 Ghana Association of Real Estate Brokers National 2019
    		76
    Value of formal housing finance outstanding
    i
    The value of outstanding residential mortgages in local currency units at the end of a calendar year for residential mortgages issued by licensed/registered residential mortgage providers.
    		 Bank of Ghana National 2020
    		5,346,830,000 GH₵$965,131,768.95
    Value of residential mortgages outstanding as % of GDP
    i
    The value of outstanding residential mortgages in local currency units at the end of a calendar year as a share of nominal GDP in local currency units.
    		 Bank of Ghana, World Bank National 2020
    		1.78%
    Maximum residential mortgage term
    i
    The maximum term in years on residential mortgages offered by registered/licensed mortgage providers.
    		 Mortgage providers (GHL, Republic Bank, Stanbic Bank, Fidelity, etc.) National 2019
    		15