Ghana Among Countries With Lowest Government Integrity

Ghana has been ranked among countries with the lowest government integrity outweighing improvements in judicial effectiveness, government spending, and fiscal health.

According to the 2018 Index of Economic Freedom released by the Heritage Foundation, loose fiscal policy and political favoritism has undermined the nation's overall economic competitiveness.

Ghana's "economy has suffered in recent years from the consequences of loose fiscal policy, high budget and current account deficits, and a depreciating currency," the report said.

"The heavy burdens of state regulation and political favoritism undermine overall competitiveness. A cumbersome bureaucracy dissuades potential entrepreneurs and impedes optimal economic performance," the report added.

The Index, which gave Ghana a score on integrity of 32.9, also noted that corruption remains unchecked by selectively enforced reform measures.

Overall, Ghana scored 56.0 among 180 countries ranked, making its economy the 122nd freest in the 2018 Index.

"Its overall score has decreased by 0.2 point, with lower scores for the property rights and labor freedom indicators outweighing improvements in judicial effectiveness, government spending, and fiscal health," according to the Index.

Ghana is ranked 19th among 47 countries in the Sub-Saharan Africa region, and its overall score is above the regional average but below the world average.

The score for this component is measured on a 100-point scale; a score of 100 indicates very little corruption and a score of 0 indicates a very corrupt government.

Below are the top 10 highest and lowest ranked

Highest Integrity
1. Hong Kong
2. Singapore
3. New Zealand
4. Switzerland
5. Australia
6. Ireland
7. Estonia
8. United Kingdom
9. Canada
10. United Arab Emirates
Lowest Integrity
180. North Korea
179. Venezuela
178. Cuba
177. Rep. of Congo
176. Eritrea
175. Equatorial Guinea
174. Zimbabwe
173. Bolivia
172. Algeria
171. Djibouti