Comparative Analysis of Socioeconomic Change and Inclusion in Ghana: A Gendered Empirical Analysis Using Ghana Living Standards 1988 and Ghana Socioeconomic Panel Survey 2019

The study uses the Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS) of 1987 and the 2019 Ghana Socioeconomic Panel Survey (GSPS) data sets for building a comparative descriptive socioeconomic profile of individuals across gender and the influence of other demographic variables. Dimension reduction methods are employed to reduce the number of variables in analysis while covering a larger set of aspects of socioeconomic analysis. The empirical analysis is directed toward contributing to socioeconomic modeling for decision-making with the findings of the analysis being the basis for contributions both to the research theory and practice. The study’s results and contribution are important as existing socioeconomic dynamics among Ghanaians are important in mapping adaptation strategies in a dynamically changing environment. The study found the persistence of socioeconomic disparities across gender, regional location, and social marginalization which were more pronounced in the 2019 dataset. The study also observed a strong influence of the physical divide measured by socioeconomic performance, social marginalization, and education attainment as influencing access to digital technologies using the 2019 panel dataset. It was concluded that the limiting socioeconomic development of post-independence Ghana is important in shaping the trajectory of future change and living standards for Ghanaians given the importance of the physical divide in adaptation to external changes affecting welfare.