Claim: 950,000 people escaped multidimensional poverty between Quarter 1 and Quarter 3 of 2025.
Source: President John Dramani Mahama
Verdict: False
Researched by Nusrat Essah
During the 2026 State of the Nation Address (SONA) delivered on February 27, 2026, President John Dramani Mahama claimed 950,000 people had moved out of multidimensional poverty within the first three quarters of 2025.
“According to the Ghana Statistical Service, over one million Ghanaians found employment between Quarter 1 and Quarter 3 of 2025, and 950,000 people escaped multidimensional poverty in the same period, ” he said.
This report will verify whether 950,000 people moved out of multidimensional poverty between the first three quarters of 2025.
Fact-Check
The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) defines multidimensional poverty as the many overlapping deprivations that poor people experience beyond just low income. These include deprivations such as poor health, lack of education, and limited access to basic services (water, sanitation, electricity), among others.
According to the government statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, during his January 21, 2026 briefing on the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI), 950,000 people escaped multidimensional poverty between the third Quarter of 2024 and the third Quarter of 2025.
He said: “In Quarter 3 of 2025, 7.2 million people in Ghana were multidimensionally poor, compared to 8.1 million people in quarter 3 of 2024; that is, about 950,000 people moved out of multidimensional poverty between quarter 3 of 2024 and quarter 3 of 2025.”
This means the 950,000 figure covers a wider period than the first three quarters of 2025, including:
- Quarter 3 of 2024
- Quarter 4 of 2024
- Quarter 1 of 2025
- Quarter 2 of 2025
- Quarter 3 of 2025
The change reflects progress across five quarters (Q3 2024 to Q3 2025) rather than only three quarters in 2025 (Q1 to Q3 2025) as claimed by the President. While the President said the 950,000 figure applied to the first three quarters of 2025, the data showed that it applied to two other quarters in 2024 (Q3 and Q4). Hence, the president attributed the figure to three quarters when in fact it was a total for five quarters.
Verdict
Therefore, the claim that 950,000 people escaped multidimensional poverty between Quarter 1 and Quarter 3 of 2025 is False.
