Demographics of Ghana
Demographic features of the population of Ghana include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, religious affiliations, and other aspects.
| Demographics of Ghana | |
|---|---|
 Population pyramid of Ghana in 2020 | |
| Population | 33,107,275 (2022 est.) |
| Growth rate | 2.23% (2022 est.) |
| Birth rate | 28.55 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Death rate | 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 69.37 years |
| • male | 67.7 years |
| • female | 71.09 years |
| Fertility rate | 3.66 children born/woman (2022 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate | 32.59 deaths/1,000 live births |
| Net migration rate | -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) |
| Age structure | |
| 0–14 years | 37.44% |
| 65 and over | 4.44% |
| Sex ratio | |
| Total | 0.95 male(s)/female (2022 est.) |
| At birth | 1.03 male(s)/female |
| Under 15 | 1.02 male(s)/female |
| 65 and over | 0.72 male(s)/female |
| Nationality | |
| Nationality | Ghanaian |
| Major ethnic | Akan (45.7%) |
| Language | |
| Official | English |
Ghana's population is 30,832,019 (2021 census).[1]
Languages
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Ghana is a multilingual country in which about 80 languages are spoken.[2] English is the official language and lingua franca.[3][4] Of the languages indigenous to Ghana, Akan is the most widely spoken.[5]
Ghana has more than seventy ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language.[6] Languages that belong to the same ethnic group are usually mutually intelligible.
Eleven languages have the status of government-sponsored languages: four Akan ethnic languages (Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, Fante and Nzema) and two Mole-Dagbani ethnic languages (Dagaare and Dagbanli). The rest are Ewe, Dangme, Ga, Gonja, and Kasem, Hausa.[7]
Ethnic groups
Ghana has more than seventy ethnic groups.[6] Major ethnic groups in Ghana include the Akan at 47.5% of the population, the Mole-Dagbon at 16.6%, the Ewe at 13.9%, the Ga-Dangme at 7.4%, the Gurma at 5.7%, the Guan at 3.7%, the Grusi at 2.5%, the Kusaasi at 1.2%, and the Bikpakpaam a.k.a. Konkomba people at 3.5%. According to Victor Mochere, 1% of the population is White. 0.5% of the population is Indian, 2.2% of the population is Arab, 0.011% is African American, 0.5% is Tabom, and 2.4% of the population is Chinese.[8]
Education
Primary and junior secondary school education is tuition-free and mandatory. Since 1987, the Government of Ghana has increased its education budget by 700%. Basic education's share has grown from 45% to 60% of that total.
Students begin their six-year primary education at the age of six. They pass into a junior secondary school system for 3 years of academic training combined with technical and vocational training. Those continuing move into the three-year senior secondary school program. Entrance to one of the best Ghanaian universities is by examination following completion of senior secondary school with a pass mark.
Demographic trends
Ghana's first post independence population census in 1961 counted about 6.7 million inhabitants.[9] Between 1965 and 1989, a constant 45 percent of Ghana total female population was of childbearing age.[9]
The crude death rate of 18 per 1,000 population in 1965 fell to 13 per 1,000 population in 1992. Life expectancy rose from a 1992 average of 42 years for men and 45 years for women to 52 and 56 years in 2002. The fertility rate averaged two children per adult female in 2013.[9]
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2015) (Data based on the 2010 Population Census.):[10]
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 13 562 093 | 14 108 081 | 27 670 174 | 100 |
| 0–4 | 2 020 776 | 1 978 634 | 3 999 410 | 14.45 |
| 5–9 | 1 688 452 | 1 624 426 | 3 312 878 | 11.97 |
| 10–14 | 1 567 043 | 1 530 309 | 3 097 352 | 11.19 |
| 15–19 | 1 414 987 | 1 410 591 | 2 825 578 | 10.21 |
| 20–24 | 1 251 759 | 1 286 040 | 2 537 799 | 9.17 |
| 25–29 | 1 083 877 | 1 168 616 | 2 252 493 | 8.14 |
| 30–34 | 935 947 | 1 031 219 | 1 967 166 | 7.11 |
| 35–39 | 785 200 | 880 037 | 1 665 237 | 6.02 |
| 40–44 | 661 789 | 742 520 | 1 404 309 | 5.08 |
| 45–49 | 546 030 | 599 902 | 1 145 932 | 4.14 |
| 50–54 | 445 531 | 487 737 | 933 268 | 3.37 |
| 55–59 | 348 118 | 379 884 | 728 002 | 2.63 |
| 60–64 | 270 642 | 299 974 | 570 616 | 2.06 |
| 65–69 | 196 219 | 223 282 | 419 501 | 1.52 |
| 70–74 | 142 378 | 170 878 | 313 256 | 1.13 |
| 75–79 | 96 514 | 126 573 | 223 087 | 0.81 |
| 80+ | 106 831 | 167 459 | 274 290 | 0.99 |
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
| 0–14 | 5 276 271 | 5 133 369 | 10 409 640 | 37.62 |
| 15–64 | 7 743 880 | 8 286 520 | 16 030 400 | 57.93 |
| 65+ | 541 942 | 688 192 | 1 230 134 | 4.45 |
Births and deaths based on UNDESA
In July 2022, the United Nations published its 2022 World Population Prospects, a biennially-updated database where key demographic indicators are estimated and projected worldwide down to the country level. They prepared the following estimates of demographic indicators in Ghana for every year from 1950 to 2021, as well as projections for future decades.[11]
| Mid-year population | Live births | Deaths | Natural change | Crude birth rate (per 1000) | Crude death rate (per 1000) | Natural change (per 1000) | Total fertility rate (TFR) | Infant mortality (per 1000 live births) | Life expectancy (in years) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 5 078 000 | 237 000 | 114 000 | 123 000 | 46.8 | 22.6 | 24.2 | 6.59 | 149.2 | 43.11 |
| 1951 | 5 220 000 | 250 000 | 116 000 | 135 000 | 48.0 | 22.2 | 25.8 | 6.64 | 145.5 | 43.65 |
| 1952 | 5 373 000 | 263 000 | 117 000 | 145 000 | 49.0 | 21.9 | 27.1 | 6.68 | 142.2 | 44.07 |
| 1953 | 5 535 000 | 276 000 | 119 000 | 157 000 | 49.8 | 21.5 | 28.3 | 6.73 | 139.0 | 44.59 |
| 1954 | 5 706 000 | 287 000 | 121 000 | 167 000 | 50.3 | 21.1 | 29.2 | 6.75 | 136.1 | 45.08 |
| 1955 | 5 887 000 | 298 000 | 122 000 | 176 000 | 50.7 | 20.8 | 29.9 | 6.77 | 133.2 | 45.50 |
| 1956 | 6 077 000 | 309 000 | 124 000 | 185 000 | 50.9 | 20.4 | 30.5 | 6.80 | 130.6 | 45.90 |
| 1957 | 6 276 000 | 319 000 | 126 000 | 193 000 | 50.8 | 20.0 | 30.8 | 6.81 | 128.3 | 46.26 |
| 1958 | 6 479 000 | 328 000 | 128 000 | 201 000 | 50.7 | 19.7 | 31.0 | 6.82 | 126.2 | 46.50 |
| 1959 | 6 690 000 | 337 000 | 129 000 | 207 000 | 50.4 | 19.3 | 31.0 | 6.83 | 124.6 | 46.87 |
| 1960 | 6 912 000 | 344 000 | 131 000 | 213 000 | 49.8 | 19.0 | 30.8 | 6.85 | 123.1 | 47.10 |
| 1961 | 7 109 000 | 352 000 | 133 000 | 219 000 | 49.3 | 18.7 | 30.7 | 6.89 | 122.0 | 47.33 |
| 1962 | 7 281 000 | 359 000 | 137 000 | 222 000 | 49.2 | 18.7 | 30.4 | 6.95 | 121.2 | 47.41 |
| 1963 | 7 458 000 | 367 000 | 140 000 | 226 000 | 49.0 | 18.7 | 30.3 | 6.98 | 120.6 | 47.58 |
| 1964 | 7 640 000 | 371 000 | 143 000 | 228 000 | 48.4 | 18.7 | 29.7 | 6.93 | 120.1 | 47.72 |
| 1965 | 7 828 000 | 376 000 | 146 000 | 230 000 | 47.9 | 18.6 | 29.3 | 6.89 | 120.0 | 47.78 |
| 1966 | 8 020 000 | 381 000 | 150 000 | 231 000 | 47.4 | 18.6 | 28.7 | 6.88 | 120.0 | 47.73 |
| 1967 | 8 216 000 | 389 000 | 153 000 | 236 000 | 47.2 | 18.6 | 28.6 | 6.91 | 120.2 | 47.68 |
| 1968 | 8 418 000 | 398 000 | 157 000 | 241 000 | 47.2 | 18.7 | 28.5 | 6.91 | 120.3 | 47.57 |
| 1969 | 8 630 000 | 409 000 | 161 000 | 248 000 | 47.3 | 18.6 | 28.7 | 6.96 | 120.3 | 47.57 |
| 1970 | 8 862 000 | 418 000 | 163 000 | 255 000 | 47.2 | 18.4 | 28.8 | 6.95 | 120.1 | 47.81 |
| 1971 | 9 109 000 | 428 000 | 166 000 | 261 000 | 46.9 | 18.3 | 28.7 | 6.94 | 119.7 | 47.80 |
| 1972 | 9 366 000 | 436 000 | 166 000 | 270 000 | 46.5 | 17.8 | 28.8 | 6.91 | 118.4 | 48.03 |
| 1973 | 9 637 000 | 446 000 | 167 000 | 279 000 | 46.2 | 17.3 | 28.9 | 6.87 | 116.7 | 48.40 |
| 1974 | 9 919 000 | 455 000 | 168 000 | 287 000 | 45.8 | 16.9 | 29.0 | 6.83 | 114.5 | 48.78 |
| 1975 | 10 210 000 | 464 000 | 168 000 | 296 000 | 45.4 | 16.4 | 29.0 | 6.77 | 112.0 | 49.25 |
| 1976 | 10 509 000 | 473 000 | 168 000 | 305 000 | 45.0 | 15.9 | 29.0 | 6.72 | 109.1 | 49.76 |
| 1977 | 10 825 000 | 484 000 | 169 000 | 315 000 | 44.7 | 15.6 | 29.1 | 6.68 | 106.6 | 50.09 |
| 1978 | 11 163 000 | 498 000 | 171 000 | 327 000 | 44.7 | 15.3 | 29.3 | 6.61 | 104.4 | 50.57 |
| 1979 | 11 516 000 | 514 000 | 175 000 | 339 000 | 44.7 | 15.2 | 29.5 | 6.56 | 102.8 | 50.93 |
| 1980 | 11 865 000 | 532 000 | 179 000 | 353 000 | 44.8 | 15.1 | 29.7 | 6.52 | 101.6 | 51.12 |
| 1981 | 12 213 000 | 549 000 | 181 000 | 368 000 | 45.0 | 14.8 | 30.1 | 6.47 | 100.8 | 51.27 |
| 1982 | 12 585 000 | 563 000 | 183 000 | 380 000 | 44.8 | 14.6 | 30.2 | 6.38 | 100.2 | 51.38 |
| 1983 | 12 984 000 | 582 000 | 187 000 | 395 000 | 44.8 | 14.4 | 30.4 | 6.31 | 98.9 | 51.62 |
| 1984 | 13 342 000 | 602 000 | 190 000 | 412 000 | 44.9 | 14.2 | 30.8 | 6.24 | 97.1 | 52.05 |
| 1985 | 13 651 000 | 608 000 | 189 000 | 418 000 | 44.3 | 13.8 | 30.5 | 6.19 | 94.9 | 52.42 |
| 1986 | 13 972 000 | 613 000 | 186 000 | 427 000 | 43.8 | 13.3 | 30.5 | 6.15 | 92.2 | 53.13 |
| 1987 | 14 311 000 | 618 000 | 184 000 | 434 000 | 43.0 | 12.8 | 30.2 | 6.09 | 89.1 | 53.82 |
| 1988 | 14 672 000 | 618 000 | 181 000 | 437 000 | 42.0 | 12.3 | 29.7 | 5.96 | 85.8 | 54.51 |
| 1989 | 15 052 000 | 620 000 | 178 000 | 441 000 | 41.1 | 11.8 | 29.3 | 5.83 | 82.7 | 55.19 |
| 1990 | 15 447 000 | 625 000 | 178 000 | 447 000 | 40.4 | 11.5 | 28.9 | 5.71 | 79.8 | 55.62 |
| 1991 | 15 843 000 | 629 000 | 178 000 | 451 000 | 39.6 | 11.2 | 28.4 | 5.59 | 77.6 | 56.01 |
| 1992 | 16 242 000 | 630 000 | 179 000 | 451 000 | 38.7 | 11.0 | 27.7 | 5.47 | 75.7 | 56.23 |
| 1993 | 16 644 000 | 632 000 | 181 000 | 451 000 | 37.9 | 10.9 | 27.0 | 5.36 | 74.3 | 56.42 |
| 1994 | 17 041 000 | 627 000 | 187 000 | 441 000 | 36.8 | 10.9 | 25.8 | 5.19 | 73.7 | 56.11 |
| 1995 | 17 439 000 | 632 000 | 186 000 | 445 000 | 36.2 | 10.7 | 25.5 | 5.07 | 72.6 | 56.57 |
| 1996 | 17 844 000 | 633 000 | 188 000 | 445 000 | 35.4 | 10.5 | 24.9 | 4.93 | 71.4 | 56.82 |
| 1997 | 18 268 000 | 644 000 | 189 000 | 456 000 | 35.3 | 10.3 | 24.9 | 4.87 | 70.2 | 57.20 |
| 1998 | 18 715 000 | 660 000 | 190 000 | 471 000 | 35.3 | 10.1 | 25.1 | 4.84 | 68.6 | 57.60 |
| 1999 | 19 177 000 | 680 000 | 191 000 | 489 000 | 35.4 | 10.0 | 25.5 | 4.84 | 66.6 | 58.03 |
| 2000 | 19 666 000 | 706 000 | 195 000 | 510 000 | 35.9 | 9.9 | 25.9 | 4.85 | 64.3 | 58.20 |
| 2001 | 20 196 000 | 719 000 | 201 000 | 518 000 | 35.6 | 10.0 | 25.7 | 4.79 | 62.1 | 58.11 |
| 2002 | 20 758 000 | 733 000 | 202 000 | 531 000 | 35.3 | 9.7 | 25.6 | 4.72 | 59.9 | 58.61 |
| 2003 | 21 330 000 | 745 000 | 203 000 | 542 000 | 34.9 | 9.5 | 25.4 | 4.63 | 58.0 | 59.11 |
| 2004 | 21 906 000 | 756 000 | 207 000 | 549 000 | 34.5 | 9.5 | 25.1 | 4.53 | 56.3 | 59.19 |
| 2005 | 22 497 000 | 785 000 | 208 000 | 577 000 | 34.9 | 9.2 | 25.6 | 4.54 | 54.9 | 59.76 |
| 2006 | 23 099 000 | 788 000 | 211 000 | 577 000 | 34.1 | 9.1 | 25.0 | 4.41 | 53.5 | 59.99 |
| 2007 | 23 708 000 | 795 000 | 214 000 | 581 000 | 33.6 | 9.0 | 24.5 | 4.31 | 52.0 | 60.22 |
| 2008 | 24 326 000 | 807 000 | 217 000 | 591 000 | 33.2 | 8.9 | 24.3 | 4.25 | 50.5 | 60.49 |
| 2009 | 24 951 000 | 823 000 | 217 000 | 606 000 | 33.0 | 8.7 | 24.3 | 4.21 | 48.8 | 60.95 |
| 2010 | 25 575 000 | 844 000 | 221 000 | 624 000 | 33.0 | 8.6 | 24.4 | 4.21 | 47.0 | 61.16 |
| 2011 | 26 206 000 | 864 000 | 221 000 | 643 000 | 33.0 | 8.4 | 24.5 | 4.19 | 45.2 | 61.65 |
| 2012 | 26 859 000 | 883 000 | 221 000 | 662 000 | 32.9 | 8.2 | 24.6 | 4.18 | 43.4 | 62.08 |
| 2013 | 27 526 000 | 896 000 | 223 000 | 673 000 | 32.5 | 8.1 | 24.4 | 4.14 | 41.7 | 62.42 |
| 2014 | 28 196 000 | 898 000 | 220 000 | 677 000 | 31.8 | 7.8 | 24.0 | 4.05 | 40.2 | 63.05 |
| 2015 | 28 871 000 | 916 000 | 225 000 | 691 000 | 31.7 | 7.8 | 23.9 | 4.05 | 38.7 | 63.18 |
| 2016 | 29 554 000 | 902 000 | 220 000 | 682 000 | 30.5 | 7.5 | 23.1 | 3.91 | 37.4 | 63.89 |
| 2017 | 30 222 000 | 876 000 | 223 000 | 652 000 | 29.0 | 7.4 | 21.6 | 3.71 | 36.2 | 64.01 |
| 2018 | 30 871 000 | 897 000 | 228 000 | 669 000 | 29.0 | 7.4 | 21.7 | 3.73 | 35.1 | 64.12 |
| 2019 | 31 522 000 | 901 000 | 225 000 | 676 000 | 28.6 | 7.1 | 21.4 | 3.68 | 34.0 | 64.74 |
| 2020 | 32 180 000 | 902 000 | 240 000 | 663 000 | 28.0 | 7.4 | 20.6 | 3.62 | 33.0 | 64.11 |
| 2021 | 32 833 000 | 905 000 | 250 000 | 654 000 | 27.5 | 7.6 | 19.9 | 3.56 | 32.1 | 63.80 |
Fertility and births based on Demographics Health Survey
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR) Demographics Health Survey:[12]
| Year | CBR (Total) | TFR (WFR) (Total) | CBR (Urban) | TFR (WFR) (Urban) | CBR (Rural) | TFR (WFR) (Rural) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 38.0 | 5.5 (4.2) | 32.9 | 3.99 (2.9) | 40.2 | 6.36 (4.9) |
| 1998 | 32.7 | 4.55 (3.7) | 25.4 | 2.96 (2.4) | 36.0 | 5.41 (4.3) |
| 2003 | 32.6 | 4.4 (3.7) | 26.6 | 3.1 (2.6) | 36.7 | 5.6 (4.6) |
| 2007 | 33.3 | 4.6 | 28.4 | 3.4 | 36.3 | 5.5 |
| 2008 | 30.8 | 4.0 (3.5) | 27.1 | 3.1 (2.7) | 33.6 | 4.9 (4.2) |
| 2014 | 30.6 | 4.2 (3.6) | 27.9 | 3.4 (3.1) | 33.5 | 5.2 (4.3) |
| 2017 | 30.0 | 3.9 | 28.3 | 3.3 | 31.7 | 4.7 |
| 2022 | 27.9 | 3.9 | 25.1 | 3.2 | 30.9 | 4.8 |
Fertility and births (Census 2000 and 2010)
Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[13]
| Year | CBR (Total) | TFR (Total) | CBR (Urban) | TFR (Urban) | CBR (Rural) | TFR (Rural) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 31.1 | 3.99 | 26.7 | 3.0 | 33.8 | 4.9 |
| 2010 | 25.3 | 3.28 | 23.0 | 2.78 | 26.9 | 3.94 |
Births and deaths[14]
| Year | Population | Live births | Deaths | Natural increase | Crude birth rate | Crude death rate | Rate of natural increase | TFR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 24,200,000 | 623,700 | 163,534 | 460,166 | 25.3 | 6.6 | 18.7 | 3.28 |
Fertility data as of 2014 (DHS Program):[15]
| Region | Total fertility rate | Percentage of women aged 15–49 currently pregnant | Mean number of children ever born to women aged 40–49 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western | 3.6 | 6.9 | 4.8 |
| Central | 4.7 | 7.8 | 5.2 |
| Greater Accra | 2.8 | 6.9 | 3.4 |
| Volta | 4.3 | 6.1 | 4.8 |
| Eastern | 4.2 | 7.9 | 4.9 |
| Ashanti | 4.2 | 5.8 | 4.8 |
| Brong Ahafo | 4.8 | 7.6 | 5.1 |
| Northern | 6.6 | 8.9 | 6.4 |
| Upper East | 4.9 | 7.9 | 5.7 |
| Upper West | 5.2 | 6.8 | 6.4 |
Other demographic statistics
Demographic statistics according to the World Population Review in 2022.[16]
- One birth every 35 seconds
- One death every 2 minutes
- One net migrant every 53 minutes
- Net gain of one person every 48 seconds
The following demographics are from the independent Ghana Statistical Service[17] and from the CIA World Factbook[18] unless otherwise indicated.
Population
Religions
Christian 71.3% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 31.6%, Protestant 17.4%, Catholic 10%, other 12.3%), Muslim 19.9%, traditionalist 3.2%, 2.1% Hindu, other 1.3%, none 1.1% (2021 est.)
Age structure
- 0-14 years: 37.44% (male 5,524,932/female 5,460,943)
- 15-24 years: 18.64% (male 2,717,481/female 2,752,601)
- 25-54 years: 34.27% (male 4,875,985/female 5,177,959)
- 55-64 years: 5.21% (male 743,757/female 784,517)
- 65 years and over: 4.44% (male 598,387/female 703,686) (2020 est.)
- 0–14 years: 37.83% (male 5,344,146 /female 5,286,383)
- 15–24 years: 18.61% (male 2,600,390 /female 2,629,660)
- 25–54 years: 34.21% (male 4,663,234 /female 4,950,888)
- 55–64 years: 5.05% (male 690,327 /female 727,957)
- 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 557,155 /female 652,331) (2018 est.)
Population growth rate
- 2.23% (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 35th
- 2.16% (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 40th
Birth rate
- 28.55 births/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 34th
- 30.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 35th
- 16.03 births/1,000 population (2013 est.)
Death rate
- 6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 150th
- 6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 134th
- 7.53 deaths/1,000 population (2013 est.)
Total fertility rate
- 3.66 children born/woman (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 33rd
- 3.96 children born/woman (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 34th
- Fertility rate declined from 3.99 (2000) to 3.28 (2010) with 2.78 in Urban region and 3.94 in rural region.[13]
Median age
- total: 21.4 years. Country comparison to the world: 184th
- male: 21 years
- female: 21.9 years (2020 est.)
- total: 21.2 years. Country comparison to the world: 185th
- male: 20.7 years
- female: 21.7 years (2018 est.)
Mother's mean age at first birth
- 22.3 years (2017 est.)
- note: median age at first birth among women 25–29
Contraceptive prevalence rate
- 27.2% (2017/18)
Net migration rate
- -0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.) Country comparison to the world: 107th
- -1.8 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2017 est.) Country comparison to the world: 154th
- -1.85 migrant(s)/1,020 population (2013 est.)
Infant mortality rate
- 39.01 deaths/1,000 live births (2013 est.)
Dependency ratios
- total dependency ratio: 73 (2015 est.)
- youth dependency ratio: 67.1 (2015 est.)
- elderly dependency ratio: 5.9 (2015 est.)
- potential support ratio: 17.1 (2015 est.)
Urbanization
- urban population: 58.6% of total population (2022)
- rate of urbanization: 3.06% annual rate of change (2020–25 est.)
- urban population: 56.1% of total population (2018)
- rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change (2015–20 est.)
Life expectancy at birth
- total population: 69.37 years. Country comparison to the world: 178th
- male: 67.7 years
- female: 71.09 years (2022 est.)
- total population: 67.4 years (2018 est.)
- male: 64.9 years (2018 est.)
- female: 70 years (2018 est.)
- total population: 65.46 years (2013 est.); 66 years
- male: 64.48 years (2013 est.); 66 years
- female: 66.48 years (2013 est.); 67 years (2013 est.)
Nationality
noun:
Ghanaian
adjective:
Ghanaian
Languages
Literacy
Definition: aged 15 and over can read and write
- total population: 79%
- male: 83.5%
- female: 74.5% (2018)
- total population: 76.6% (2015 est.)
- male: 82% (2015 est.)
- female: 71.4% (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)
- total: 12 years
- male: 12 years
- female: 12 years (2020)
- total population: 71.5%
- male: 78.3%
- female: 65.3% (2010 census)
Major infectious diseases
- degree of risk: very high (2020)
- food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
- vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever
- water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
- animal contact diseases: rabies
- respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis
- note: since October 2021, there has been a yellow fever outbreak in Ghana with numerous cases, including some deaths, in the following regions: Savannah, Upper West, Bono, and Oti; the CDC recommends travelers going to Ghana should receive vaccination against yellow fever at least 10 days before travel and should take steps to prevent mosquito bites while there; those never vaccinated against yellow fever should avoid travel to Nigeria during the outbreak; there are no medications to treat or cure yellow fever
Unemployment, youth ages 15–24
- total: 9.1%
- male: 9.4%
- female: 8.7% (2017 est.)
Demographic history
Historical population
| Year[21] | Total recorded population |
|---|---|
| Pre-independence | |
| 1891 | 764,613 |
| 1901 | 1,549,661 |
| 1911 | 1,503,911 |
| 1921 | 2,296,400 |
| 1931 | 3,160,386 |
| 1948 | 4,118,459 |
| Post-independence | |
| 1960 | 6,726,815 |
| 1970 | 8,559,313 |
| 1984 | 12,296,081 |
| 2000 | 18,912,079 |
| 2010 | 24,658,823 |
| 2021 | 30,832,019 |
Population distribution
Population density increased steadily from 36 per square kilometer in 1970 to 52 per square kilometer in 1984. In 1990 63 persons per square kilometer was the estimate for Ghana's overall population density. These averages did not reflect variations in population distribution. For example, while the Northern Region, one of ten administrative regions, showed a density of seventeen persons per square kilometer in 1984, in the same year Greater Accra Region recorded nine times the national average of 52 per square kilometer.[22]
As was the case in the 1960 and 1970 figures, the greatest concentration of population in 1984 was to the south of the Kwahu Plateau. The highest concentration of habitation continued to be within the Accra-Kumasi-Takoradi triangle, largely because of the economic productivity of the region. All of Ghana's mining centres, timber-producing deciduous forests, and cocoa-growing lands lie to the south of the Kwahu Plateau. The Accra-Kumasi-Takoradi triangle is linked to the coast by rail and road systems—making this area an important magnet for investment and labor.[22]
A large part of the Volta Basin is sparsely populated. The far north is heavily populated. The population density of the Upper East Region is well above the national average. This may be explained in part by the better soil found in some areas.[22]
Urban–rural disparities
Localities of 5,000 persons and above have been classified as urban since 1960. The 1960 urban population totalled 1,551,174 persons, or 23.1 percent of total population. By 1970 the urban percentage had increased to 28 percent. That percentage rose to 32 in 1984 and was estimated at 33 percent for 1992.[23]
Urban areas in Ghana have customarily been supplied with more amenities than rural locations. Consequently, Kumasi, Accra, and many settlements within the southern economic belt attracted more people than the savanna regions of the north; only Tamale in the north has been an exception. The linkage of the national electricity grid to the northern areas of the country in the late 1980s may help to stabilize the north-to-south flow of internal migration.[23] Ghana has a hugely rural population that is dependent on subsistence agriculture. Ghana has continued to be a nation of rural communities. Rural residency was estimated to be 67 percent of the population in 1992. In the 1970s, 72 percent of Ghana's population lived in rural areas.[23] The "Rural Manifesto," which assessed the causes of rural underdevelopment, was introduced in April 1984. Development strategies were evaluated, and some were implemented to make rural residency more attractive. The Bank of Ghana established more than 120 rural banks to support rural entrepreneurs, and the rural electrification program was intensified in the late 1980s. The government presented its plans for district assemblies as a component of its strategy for rural improvement through decentralized administration.[23]
References
- "2021 Ghana Population and Housing Census".
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This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain. - "UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics".
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Further reading
- Azunre, Gideon Abagna, Richard Azerigyik, and Pearl Puwurayire. "Deciphering the drivers of informal urbanization by Ghana's urban poor through the lens of the push-pull theory." InPlaning Forum Vol. 18. (2021). online
External links
- (in English) Ghana Statistical Service
