Deputy Minority Leader flags irregular pensions as ageing surges

Deputy Minority Leader and MP for Asokwa, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, has called on Parliament to urgently address Ghana’s shifting demographics, warning that a rapidly ageing population will place unprecedented pressure on pensions and social protection systems.

In a statement on the floor of Parliament, Hon. Appiagyei said the country’s demographic structure is undergoing a “profound transformation” that requires immediate policy response.

Citing official projections, the Asokwa MP noted that Ghanaians aged 60 and above numbered about 2.05 million in 2020 and are expected to reach 2.42 million soon, before surging to 6.3 million by 2050. That represents a 12-fold increase since 1960, when only around 200,000 citizens were in that age bracket.

Life expectancy has also climbed from 47 years in 1960 to 65.4 years in 2025, with projections putting it at 68.98 years by 2026.

Parliament must treat ageing and retirement as a matter of national agency,” Hon. Appiagyei stated, urging proactive reforms to safeguard pension funds and strengthen social protection before the demographic shift peaks.

She commended the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT), noting that it “has not defaulted on pension payments in over six decades” and that processing times have dropped from several weeks to under ten working days. “This momentum must be sustained,” she told the House.

While acknowledging the “self-employed enrollment drive” and the “SNIT initiative launched by SSNIT in Ghana to extend pension coverage to self-employed workers,” Hon. Appiagyei said the digital platforms set up by SSNIT are commendable but not enough.

The Deputy Minority Leader also called for expanded social protection and healthcare for the elderly, “especially in deprived and rural areas where family support is weakest.”