Ghana

Is Ghana safe to visit?

Yes, for most visitors who take a few precautions. Ghana has held peaceful elections and changes of power for three decades, there is no insurgency inside the country, and the recorded homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary is about a tenth of Nigeria's. What hurts visitors here is more ordinary: crashes on the roads, malaria, the surf, and a rise in robbery in Accra. We score Ghana 57, ahead of Kenya and behind Morocco.

The 2026 Global Peace IndexGlobal Peace IndexAn annual ranking of 163 countries by how peaceful they are, based on conflict, crime, militarisation and political instability.More in the glossary ranks Ghana 76th of 163, in the top half and close to Tunisia. The US keeps it at Level 2, citing crime, poor health infrastructure, violence against women and violence against gay and lesbian people.

Roads are the biggest danger

WHO estimatesWHO road-death estimateThe World Health Organization's estimate of road traffic deaths per 100,000 people in a country, adjusted for deaths that police statistics miss.More in the glossary 25.9 road deaths per 100,000 people in 2021, close to Kenya's 28.2. Ghana's own figures are lower but going the wrong way: the National Road Safety Authority's provisional count was 2,949 deaths in 2025, up 18% on 2024, and 2,561 pedestrians were knocked down.

The FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says rural roads are often poor and street lighting is poor or absent, and that leaves or grass strewn across the road usually mark a crash or hazard ahead. Night driving outside towns is when crashes and attacks on vehicles are most likely. Tro-tros (minibuses) and app taxis are not centrally licensed, and the FCDO says nobody is accountable for their safety. For trips between cities, use a reputable company or a pre-booked driver, travel by day and wear a seatbelt.

Crime in Accra and Kumasi

Ghana's recorded homicide rateHomicide rateThe number of people killed on purpose each year for every 100,000 residents. It is the most comparable crime figure between countries.More in the glossary of 1.8 per 100,000 (2022) is low for the region. But the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary reports that robbery, burglary and serious assault have become more common since 2021, sometimes with weapons, and that foreign nationals have been robbed at gunpoint. A British national died in an attack on a vehicle in 2021. Media have reported kidnappings for ransom in Accra, Takoradi and Kumasi, some of them targeting foreigners.

Specific patterns to know:

• Airport: impostors approach new arrivals at Kotoka pretending to be their driver. Ask for the driver's name and ID before you get in.
• Roads in Accra: police name Graphic Road, the George Walker Bush Highway, the Accra Mall roundabout, the Teshie-Nungua road and the Labadi and Kokrobite beach areas as places where vehicles are attacked.
• Beaches: theft is common and there have been isolated sexual assaults in tourist areas. Do not walk beaches alone.
• Fraud: card skimming is common, and romance, business and job scams run from Ghana. If someone in Ghana asks family at home for money "for you", tell them to call you first.

The north: Bawku and the border

The only area the UK advises against is the Bawku Municipal area in the Upper East region, where a long-running local conflict has turned violent; the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary reports attacks on the Bolgatanga–Bawku road and many people travelling with police escorts. It also reports tribal clashes in western Savannah Region near the Côte d'Ivoire and Burkina Faso borders that have caused deaths and displacement. The US goes further and says reconsider travel to the whole northern border strip, citing crime.

Terrorism is a background risk, not a pattern. The FCDO says attacks cannot be ruled out, because JNIM and Islamic State operate across the border in Burkina Faso and JNIM has attacked northern Togo. Ghana has not had a major attack. Tamale, Mole National Park and the coast are visited normally.

Health, heat and the sea

Malaria is the health risk that matters most. CDC recommends preventive tablets for every traveller, and Ghana requires proof of yellow fever vaccination on arrival. Cholera has been reported in several regions including Greater Accra, and rabid dogs are common. Private clinics in Accra are reasonable, but the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary says care is poor outside towns and serious cases need evacuation, so buy insurance that covers it.

The Atlantic coast is beautiful and dangerous. The FCDO says rip tides and undertows make swimming dangerous along the southern coast, with adults and children drowning. Rainy-season flooding is common in the north from March to November and also floods Accra; the FCDO issued flood advice for the capital as recently as June 2026.

How to stay safe in Ghana

• Take malaria tablets, use repellent and sleep under a net or in air conditioning.
• Carry your yellow fever certificate; you can be refused entry without it.
• Do not drive between cities after dark, and do not stop if people try to flag you down on rural roads.
• Do not hand cash to police at checkpoints; the FCDOFCDO travel adviceThe UK government's travel advice for each country, which can advise against all travel or all but essential travel to specific areas.More in the glossary warns it can be seen as a bribe.
• Call 999 or 112 for emergencies, 192 for police.

How we scored it

Road safety (32) is the weakest factor, based on WHO's 2021 estimate and pulled down slightly because the national count, though lower, rose sharply in 2025. Health (45) reflects nationwide malaria and limited care outside Accra. Violent crime (78) is the strongest factor, scored slightly below its homicide band because armed robbery has increased.