Demographic features of the population of Ghana include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, religious affiliations, and other aspects.
Ghana's population is 30,832,019 (2021 census).
Population +Ghana's Population in Census YearsYearTotal recorded populationPre-independence1891764,61319011,549,66119111,503,91119212,296,40019313,160,38619484,118,459Post-independence19606,726,81519708,559,313198412,296,081200018,912,079201024,658,823202130,832,019
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 17 persons per square kilometer in 1984, in the same year Greater Accra Region recorded nine times the national average of 52 per square kilometers.
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 a magnet for investsment and labor.
A part of the Volta Basin is more sparsely populated. The far north is more heavily populated. The population density of the Upper East Region is above the national average. This may be explained in part by the better soil found in some areas.
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% of total population. By 1970, the urban percentage had increased to 28%. That percentage rose to 32% in 1984 and was estimated at 33% for 1992.
Urban areas in Ghana have customarily been supplied with more amenities than rural locations. Consequently, Kumasi, Accra, and other 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 1980s may help to stabilize the north-to-south flow of internal migration.
Ghana has continued to be a nation of rural communities. Rural residency was estimated to be 67% of the population in 1992. In the 1970s, 72% of Ghana's population lived in rural areas. 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 1980s. The government presented its plans for district assemblies as a component of its strategy for rural improvement through decentralized administration.
Demographic trends
Ghana's first post independence population census in 1961 counted about 6.7 million inhabitants. Between 1965 and 1989, a constant 45% of Ghana total female population was of childbearing age.
Age structure
Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 26.IX.2010):Demographic data un.org Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% Total 12,024,845 12,633 978 24 658 823 100 0–4 1 731 787 1 673 619 3 405 406 13.81 5–9 1 589 632 1 539 320 3 128 952 12.69 10–14 1 477 525 1 438 515 2 916 040 11.83 15–19 1 311 112 1 298 877 2 609 989 10.58 20–24 1 100 727 1 222 764 2 323 491 9.42 25–29 943 213 1 106 898 2 050 111 8.31 30–34 790 301 888 508 1 678 809 6.81 35–39 676 768 744 635 1 421 403 5.76 40–44 572 620 613 730 1 186 350 4.81 45–49 452 975 485 123 938 098 3.80 50–54 394 600 438 498 833 098 3.38 55–59 258 582 265 113 523 695 2.12 60–64 227 050 248 799 475 849 1.93 65–69 136 244 157 627 293 871 1.19 70–74 149 512 201 818 351 330 1.42 75–79 89 149 116 804 205 953 0.84 80–84 62 357 96 727 159 084 0.65 85–89 32 937 50 133 83 070 0.34 90–94 19 004 32 077 51 081 0.21 95+ 8 750 14 393 23 143 0.09Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 0–14 4 798 944 4 651 454 9 450 398 38.32 15–64 6 727 948 7 312 945 14 040 893 56.94 65+ 497 953 669 579 1 167 532 4.73
Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2015) (Data based on the 2010 Population Census.): Age groupMaleFemaleTotal% 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 0.99Age groupMaleFemaleTotalPercent 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
United Nations statistics 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.
Mid-year populationLive birthsDeathsNatural changeCrude 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)19505,078,000237,000114,000123,00046.822.624.26.59149.243.1119515,220,000250,000116,000135,00048.022.225.86.64145.543.6519525,373,000263,000117,000145,00049.021.927.16.68142.244.0719535,535,000276,000119,000157,00049.821.528.36.73139.044.5919545,706,000287,000121,000167,00050.321.129.26.75136.145.0819555,887,000298,000122,000176,00050.720.829.96.77133.245.5019566,077,000309,000124,000185,00050.920.430.56.80130.645.9019576,276,000319,000126,000193,00050.820.030.86.81128.346.2619586,479,000328,000128,000201,00050.719.731.06.82126.246.5019596,690,000337,000129,000207,00050.419.331.06.83124.646.8719606,912,000344,000131,000213,00049.819.030.86.85123.147.1019617,109,000352,000133,000219,00049.318.730.76.89122.047.3319627,281,000359,000137,000222,00049.218.730.46.95121.247.4119637,458,000367,000140,000226,00049.018.730.36.98120.647.5819647,640,000371,000143,000228,00048.418.729.76.93120.147.7219657,828,000376,000146,000230,00047.918.629.36.89120.047.7819668,020,000381,000150,000231,00047.418.628.76.88120.047.7319678,216,000389,000153,000236,00047.218.628.66.91120.247.6819688,418,000398,000157,000241,00047.218.728.56.91120.347.5719698,630,000409,000161,000248,00047.318.628.76.96120.347.5719708,862,000418,000163,000255,00047.218.428.86.95120.147.8119719,109,000428,000166,000261,00046.918.328.76.94119.747.8019729,366,000436,000166,000270,00046.517.828.86.91118.448.0319739,637,000446,000167,000279,00046.217.328.96.87116.748.4019749,919,000455,000168,000287,00045.816.929.06.83114.548.78197510,210,000464,000168,000296,00045.416.429.06.77112.049.25197610,509,000473,000168,000305,00045.015.929.06.72109.149.76197710,825,000484,000169,000315,00044.715.629.16.68106.650.09197811,163,000498,000171,000327,00044.715.329.36.61104.450.57197911,516,000514,000175,000339,00044.715.229.56.56102.850.93198011,865,000532,000179,000353,00044.815.129.76.52101.651.12198112,213,000549,000181,000368,00045.014.830.16.47100.851.27198212,585,000563,000183,000380,00044.814.630.26.38100.251.38198312,984,000582,000187,000395,00044.814.430.46.3198.951.62198413,342,000602,000190,000412,00044.914.230.86.2497.152.05198513,651,000608,000189,000418,00044.313.830.56.1994.952.42198613,972,000613,000186,000427,00043.813.330.56.1592.253.13198714,311,000618,000184,000434,00043.012.830.26.0989.153.82198814,672,000618,000181,000437,00042.012.329.75.9685.854.51198915,052,000620,000178,000441,00041.111.829.35.8382.755.19199015,447,000625,000178,000447,00040.411.528.95.7179.855.62199115,843,000629,000178,000451,00039.611.228.45.5977.656.01199216,242,000630,000179,000451,00038.711.027.75.4775.756.23199316,644,000632,000181,000451,00037.910.927.05.3674.356.42199417,041,000627,000187,000441,00036.810.925.85.1973.756.11199517,439,000632,000186,000445,00036.210.725.55.0772.656.57199617,844,000633,000188,000445,00035.410.524.94.9371.456.82199718,268,000644,000189,000456,00035.310.324.94.8770.257.20199818,715,000660,000190,000471,00035.310.125.14.8468.657.60199919,177,000680,000191,000489,00035.410.025.54.8466.658.03200019,666,000706,000195,000510,00035.99.925.94.8564.358.20200120,196,000719,000201,000518,00035.610.025.74.7962.158.11200220,758,000733,000202,000531,00035.39.725.64.7259.958.61200321,330,000745,000203,000542,00034.99.525.44.6358.059.11200421,906,000756,000207,000549,00034.59.525.14.5356.359.19200522,497,000785,000208,000577,00034.99.225.64.5454.959.76200623,099,000788,000211,000577,00034.19.125.04.4153.559.99200723,708,000795,000214,000581,00033.69.024.54.3152.060.22200824,326,000807,000217,000591,00033.28.924.34.2550.560.49200924,951,000823,000217,000606,00033.08.724.34.2148.860.95201025,575,000844,000221,000624,00033.08.624.44.2147.061.16201126,206,000864,000221,000643,00033.08.424.54.1945.261.65201226,859,000883,000221,000662,00032.98.224.64.1843.462.08201327,526,000896,000223,000673,00032.58.124.44.1441.762.42201428,196,000898,000220,000677,00031.87.824.04.0540.263.05201528,871,000916,000225,000691,00031.77.823.94.0538.763.18201629,554,000902,000220,000682,00030.57.523.13.9137.463.89201730,222,000876,000223,000652,00029.07.421.63.7136.264.01201830,871,000897,000228,000669,00029.07.421.73.7335.164.12201931,259,000872,000229,000642,00027.97.320.63.5934.564.5202031,888,000875,000237,000637,00027.47.420.03.5433.564.3202132,519,000879,000243,000636,00027.07.519.63.4932.564.3202233,149,000882,000235,000646,00026.67.119.53.4331.665.2202333,788,000889,000238,000651,00026.37.019.33.4030.765.5
Demographics and Health Surveys Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR) Demographics Health Survey:
Year Total Urban Rural CBR TFR (WFR) CBR TFR (WFR) CBR TFR (WFR) 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 (3.4) 25.1 3.2 (2.8) 30.9 4.8 (4.2)
Years 19251926192719281929Total Fertility Rate in Ghana6.436.436.426.426.42 Years 1930193119321933193419351936193719381939Total Fertility Rate in Ghana6.426.416.416.416.416.406.406.406.406.39 Years 1940194119421943194419451946194719481949Total Fertility Rate in Ghana6.396.396.396.386.386.386.386.376.376.37
Fertility and births (Census 2000 and 2010) + Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):National Analytical Report . Statsghana.gov.gh. Year Total Urban Rural CBR TFR CBR TFR CBR TFR 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 deathsYearPopulationLive birthsDeathsNatural increaseCrude birth rateCrude death rateRate of natural increaseTFR 2010 24,200,000 623,700 163,534 460,166 25.3 6.6 18.7 3.28