What Ghana’s 2026 Budget Means for Young People: A Youth Responsiveness Perspective

Ghana stands at a defining moment in its development trajectory. Young people aged 15–35 constitute the largest segment of our population and will shape the country’s economic, social, and political future for decades to come. At such a juncture, national budgets are not merely fiscal instruments; they are statements of intent about whose futures are prioritised and how development opportunities are distributed.

Against this backdrop, Youth Opportunity and Transformation in Africa (YOTA) conducted a Youth Responsiveness Analysis of the Government of Ghana’s Budget Statement and Economic Policy for the 2026 Financial Year, presented to Parliament in November 2025. The analysis examines the extent to which the 2026 Budget addresses the needs, aspirations, and lived realities of young people across education, employment, health, digitalisation, social protection, and governance.

This article summarises the key findings of that analysis, highlights areas of progress, identifies persistent gaps, and outlines priority actions required to strengthen youth outcomes in future budget cycles.

Why youth responsiveness matters in 2026

Youth responsiveness is not an abstract concept. It speaks directly to whether public spending equips young people with the skills to thrive, the opportunities to earn a dignified living, and the protection needed to withstand economic and social shocks. In a context of fiscal consolidation and constrained resources, ensuring that investments generate high returns for youth is both a social imperative and a strategic economic choice.

A budget that is responsive to youth strengthens productivity, innovation and long-term national competitiveness. Conversely, underinvestment in youth risks entrenching unemployment, informality and inequality – costs that Ghana cannot afford.

What the analysis found

YOTA’s assessment applied a structured youth-responsive budgeting framework, scoring youth-relevant interventions across five dimensions: visibility and clarity, scale and adequacy, jobs and livelihood intensity, equity and inclusion, and implementation realism.

The resulting “moderately youth responsive” rating reflects a mixed picture: strong flagship initiatives coexist with persistent structural gaps that limit transformative impact.

Where the budget is getting it right

1. Digital transformation as a youth opportunity

Digitalisation is the strongest youth-aligned pillar of the 2026 Budget. Programmes such as the One Million Coders Programme, the expansion of Regional Digital Centres, and support for the FinTech ecosystem align well with young people’s aspirations and emerging labour market trends. If effectively implemented and linked to jobs and enterprise, these initiatives have the potential to significantly improve youth employability and innovation.

2. Sustained investment in education and human capital

Continued financing of Free Senior High School, supported by the uncapping of the Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund), represents a substantial commitment to youth human capital. Complementary Basic Education further strengthens the pipeline by preventing long-term youth vulnerability through reintegration of out-of-school adolescents.

3. Institutional recognition of youth development

The establishment of the Ministry of Youth Development and Empowerment (MoYDE) signals political recognition of youth as a cross-cutting development priority. While institutional capacity is still evolving, this provides an important foundation for improved coordination across sectors.

Where gaps remain and why they matter

1. Insufficient domestic job creation

Despite policy intent, the scale of domestic job creation interventions does not match the number of young people entering the labour market annually. While the National Employment Trust and Green Jobs Strategy hold promise, concrete, large-scale employment programmes remain limited. Over-reliance on labour mobility schemes risks overshadowing the urgent need to strengthen domestic opportunities.

2. Weak school-to-work transitions

Education investments are not adequately linked to employability. Career guidance, apprenticeships, internships and industry partnerships remain underdeveloped, reducing returns on education spending and prolonging transitions into work.

3. Limited youth-focused social protection

Most social protection programmes benefit youth only indirectly. There are no dedicated safety nets for unemployed youth, young mothers or NEET youth, leaving many exposed to economic shocks that undermine their ability to invest in skills or pursue livelihoods.

4. Disability and inclusion gaps

Youth with disabilities remain largely invisible across education, employment, digital skills and social services. Gender and rural inclusion measures are present but uneven. Without targeted approaches, inequalities risk being reproduced rather than reduced.

5. Weak youth participation and accountability

The Budget does not outline structured mechanisms for youth engagement in formulation, monitoring or oversight. The absence of youth budget tagging and youth-specific outcome indicators limits transparency and accountability for results.

What needs to change: priority actions

To move from moderate to strong youth responsiveness, future budgets should prioritise the following:

1. Scale domestic job creation, including labour-intensive public works, apprenticeships and enterprise incubation, with clear youth targeting.
2. Strengthen school-to-work pathways through institutionalised career guidance and deeper TVET–industry partnerships.
3. Introduce youth-focused social protection, including cash-plus schemes and expanded youth-friendly health and mental health services.
4. Mainstream inclusion, particularly for youth with disabilities, young women and rural youth.
5. Institutionalise youth participation and accountability, including annual youth pre-budget consultations, youth budget tagging and youth-specific performance indicators.

A call to action

The 2026 Budget demonstrates a clear intention to invest in young people. However, intent must now be matched with scale, inclusion and systemic reform. A more youth-responsive budget is not simply about adding new programmes; it is about aligning public investment with the realities of a youthful population and ensuring that young people are empowered as contributors to national development.

At YOTA, we remain committed to strengthening the evidence base for youth development, amplifying youth voices, and supporting constructive engagement between government, civil society, development partners and the private sector. We invite all stakeholders to engage with the findings of this analysis and work collaboratively to build a more inclusive and future-ready Ghana.

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