Household wellbeing and community economic development in Ghana: Evidence from a national survey

This study examines the determinants of household economic wellbeing in Ghana using the 2026 Ghana Wellbeing Tracker, comprising 3,698 respondents across sixteen regions. Anchored in the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, it investigates how demographic characteristics, livelihood security, financial resilience, and community economic conditions shape wellbeing. Exploratory factor analysis, hierarchical Ordinary Least Squares regression, and mixed-effects multilevel modelling were employed. Results indicate that demographic characteristics explain only 3.3% of wellbeing variation, increasing to 56.0% with livelihood security indicators and 62.0% after incorporating community economic conditions. Income adequacy, debt burden, job security, SME conditions, and income growth emerge as significant predictors. Multilevel analysis reveals that regional differences account for only 1.6% of wellbeing variation, highlighting the predominance of household-level factors. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening livelihood security, reducing financial vulnerability, and supporting local enterprise development. People-centred, community-responsive policies are essential for advancing inclusive and sustainable economic wellbeing across Ghana.