Politics Ledger · Sub-Saharan Africa
Ghana
Electoral democracyPresidential republicUnitary
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Ghana parliamentary seats — snapshot dated Elected 7 December 2024 (1y 11mo ago). Curated data may lag the live series. View data sources.
In charge
John Dramani Mahama
President
Time in power
1.8 yrs
since 2025
Government seats
66%
majority
Next national vote
2028-12
General
Governance score
63/100
composite of five indices
The first sub-Saharan colony to win independence, Ghana went from Nkrumah's pan-African socialism through coups and Rawlings's military rule to one of Africa's most stable two-party democracies.
Leadership
Who Governs Ghana
Head of state
Holds executive powerJohn Dramani Mahama
President · National Democratic Congress (NDC)
Since 7 January 2025 · 1.8 years
Age 68 (born 1958)ManRoute to power: won a popular election
Ruling coalition
NDC supermajority
Main opposition
New Patriotic Party (NPP)
Last national election
7 December 2024
General
Mahama returned to power with 56.6%; NDC won a two-thirds majority.
Next national election
7 December 2028
General
A constitutional review committee has proposed a single five-year presidential term.
Parliament
Parliament (unicameral)
Seat distribution (Elected 7 December 2024), ordered from economic left to right.
| Party | Ideology | Seats | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Democratic Congress (NDC) | Social democracy | 183 | governing |
| New Patriotic Party (NPP) | Liberal conservatism | 88 | opposition |
| Independents (IND) | Independent | 4 | opposition |
Ideology
Party Landscape
Each party placed on economic and social axes, sized by seats.
Institutions
The System
- Official name
- Republic of Ghana
- Capital
- Accra
- Population
- 35 million
- Statehood
- Independence 6 March 1957; Fourth Republic Constitution 1992
- System
- Presidential republic
- Structure
- Unitary
- Current constitution
- 1992
- Legislature
- Parliament
- Lower / sole chamber
- Parliament (unicameral) (276 seats)
- Electoral system
- Two-round presidential vote; FPTP in 276 constituencies.
- Term limits
- President: two four-year terms (a review proposes a single five-year term).
Sources
- Parliament of Ghana
- Electoral Commission of Ghana
- EIU Democracy Index 2024; Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2025; RSF World Press Freedom Index 2025; Transparency International CPI 2024; IPU Parline, 2026; V-Dem v15 Liberal Democracy Index (approximate five-year readings)
Last verified 2026-10-29. Party placements are editorial estimates.
Data as of 2026-10-29.