The regions of Ghana are the first level of subnational government administration within the Republic of Ghana. As of 2020, there are 16 regions, which are further divided for administrative purposes into 260 local metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (or MMDA's).
List +RegionCapitalPopulation (2021) Area (km²)AhafoGoaso564,6685,196Ashanti Kumasi5,440,46324,389 BonoSunyani1,208,64911,113Bono EastTechiman1,203,40023,248CentralCape Coast 2,859,8219,826EasternKoforidua2,925,65319,323Greater AccraAccra5,445,6923,245North East RegionNalerigu658,9469,070NorthernTamale2,310,93926,534 OtiDambai747,24811,066SavannahDamongo653,26634,790Upper EastBolgatanga1,301,2268,842Upper WestWa901,50218,476 VoltaHo1,659,0409,504Western Takoradi2,060,58513,842Western NorthSefwi Wiawso880,92110,079 The ten former regions were officially established in 1987, when the Upper West Region was inaugurated as the state's newest administrative region, although it had already functioned as an administrative unit since the break-up of the Upper Region in December 1982, prior to the 1984 national census. A referendum on the creation of six new regions was held on 27 December 2018, where all proposed new regions were approved.
Former region Capital New region Capital Ashanti Kumasi Ashanti Kumasi Brong-Ahafo Sunyani Bono Sunyani Bono East Techiman Ahafo Goaso Central Cape Coast Central Cape Coast Eastern Koforidua Eastern Koforidua Greater Accra Accra Greater Accra Accra Northern TamaleNorthern Tamale Savannah Damongo North East Nalerigu Upper East Bolgatanga Upper East Bolgatanga Upper West Wa Upper West Wa Volta Ho Volta Ho Oti Dambai WesternSekondi-Takoradi Western Takoradi Western North Wiawso
Previous regional configurations Independence - 6 March 1957 At independence in March 1957, the Northern Territories, Ashanti, Trans-Volta Togoland and the Gold Coast came together to form Ghana. There were initially five regions. The Trans-Volta Togoland was combined with part of the Eastern Region and Northern Territories to form the Volta Region.
Former region Capital New region Capital Ashanti Kumasi Ashanti Region Kumasi Eastern Province Koforidua Eastern Region Koforidua (Keta) Volta Region HoTrans-Volta Togoland Ho Northern Territories (Saboba) Tamale Northern Region TamaleWestern Province Sekondi Western Region Sekondi
Post-independence and First Republic On 4 April 1959, the Ashanti Region was split into the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions as a result of the Brong Ahafo Region Act No. 18 of 1959. This was in line with what the Brong Kyempem movement had been campaigning for, which was the recognition of the Bono people as a separate ethnic group from the Ashantis with their own region.
On the day Ghana became a republic, 1 July 1960, the Northern Region got split into the Northern and Upper regions raising the number of regions to seven.
Former region Capital New region Capital Ashanti Kumasi Ashanti KumasiBrong-Ahafo Region Sunyani Eastern Region Koforidua Eastern Region Koforidua Northern Region Tamale Northern Region Tamale Upper Region Bolgatanga Volta Region Ho Volta Region Ho Western Region Sekondi Western Region Sekondi
Second Republic During the Second Republic, the Western Region was split into the Western and Central regions, making eight regions in total. This was done ahead of the 1970 census. In 1971, Sekondi and Takoradi were merged to form Sekondi-Takoradi, the new capital of the Western Region.
Former region Capital New region Capital Ashanti Kumasi Ashanti KumasiBrong-Ahafo region Sunyani Brong-Ahafo region Sunyani Eastern Region Koforidua Eastern Region Koforidua Northern Region Tamale Northern Region Tamale Upper Region Bolgatanga Upper Region Bolgatanga Volta Region Ho Volta Region HoWestern Region Sekondi Western Region Sekondi-Takoradi Central Region Cape Coast
PNDC era The Provisional National Defence Council, which was the military government in power between 1981 and 1993, promulgated the Greater Accra Law (PNDCL 26) of 23 July 1982 which created the Greater Accra Region. The new region consisted of the Accra Capital District and the Ada Local Council, which were split off from the Eastern Region. In the following year 1983, the Upper Region was divided into the Upper East Region and Upper West Region, bringing the total number of regions to ten.
Former region Capital New region Capital Ashanti Kumasi Ashanti KumasiBrong-Ahafo region Sunyani Brong-Ahafo region Sunyani Central Region Cape Coast Central Region Cape Coast Eastern Region Koforidua Eastern Region Koforidua Greater Accra Region Accra Northern Region Tamale Northern Region TamaleUpper Region Bolgatanga Upper East Region Bolgatanga Upper West Region Wa Volta Region Ho Volta Region Ho Western Region Sekondi-Takoradi Western Region Sekondi-Takoradi
See also List of Ghanaian regional ministers List of Ghanaian regions by area List of Ghanaian regions by Human Development Index List of Ghanaian regions by population ISO 3166-2:GH
General: Administrative divisions of Ghana
References
External links Official Ghana Regions