Ghana ranks in Africa's top 10 for civic space despite 'obstructed' rating

The latest CIVICUS Monitor assessment ranks Ghana among the top 10 African countries for civic space, though its score of 60 out of 100 places it in the ‘obstructed’ category. This indicates that while Ghana is a relatively strong performer on the continent, citizens still face significant barriers to freedom of expression, association, and peaceful assembly.

Cabo Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe lead the rankings for Sub-Saharan Africa, both receiving a score of 88 and an ‘open’ rating. Other high-ranking nations include Namibia and Seychelles, which both scored 80 but are classified as ‘narrowed’. Mauritius (77), Botswana (72), Lesotho (60), and South Africa (60) also appear in the top 10.

The report highlights that 44 of 50 countries and territories in Sub-Saharan Africa are rated as obstructed, repressed, or closed. CIVICUS notes that more than 80% of the population in the region lives in countries where civic space is classified as repressed or closed.