Alright, let's get this over with. You want to know about the demographics of Ghana. Don't expect me to be enthusiastic about it. It's just numbers. People. Existing. Whatever.
Population
The latest census, in 2021, put Ghana's population at a rather substantial 30,832,019 souls. Before that, the 2010 count was 24,658,823. It's a trend, I suppose. A relentless march of more people.
Here's a look at how the numbers have stacked up over the years. It's not exactly thrilling reading, but it's data.
| Year | Total recorded population |
|---|---|
| 1891 | 764,613 |
| 1901 | 1,549,661 |
| 1911 | 1,503,911 |
| 1921 | 2,296,400 |
| 1931 | 3,160,386 |
| 1948 | 4,118,459 |
| 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
You think everyone's just… scattered? Think again. Population density isn't uniform. It creeps up, like moss on neglected stone. From a sparse 36 per square kilometer in 1970, it nudged to 52 by 1984. By 1990, it was estimated at 63 per square kilometer overall. Of course, these are just averages. Averages are for people who can't be bothered with the details.
The Northern Region, for instance, was a mere seventeen persons per square kilometer in 1984. Meanwhile, the Greater Accra Region was practically teeming, with nine times the national average. Some places are just… more crowded. It’s hardly a surprise.
Most of the population clusters south of the Kwahu Plateau. This isn't random. It's the Accra-Kumasi-Takoradi triangle, the economic heart. Mining, timber, cocoa – all that stuff that keeps the gears turning. And it's all connected by roads and railways. Naturally, that draws people. Like moths to a rather grim, functional flame.
The Volta Basin, on the other hand, is largely empty. And the far north? Densely populated. The Upper East Region, specifically, is well above the national average. Better soil, apparently. Or maybe just fewer places to escape to.
Urban–Rural Disparities
Since 1960, anything with 5,000 or more inhabitants is considered "urban." In 1960, that was 1,551,174 people, 23.1% of the total. By 1970, it was 28%. Then 32% in 1984. By 1992, estimates put it at 33%. It’s a slow creep towards concrete and… well, more concrete.
Urban areas usually get the amenities, don't they? More electricity, better services. So, naturally, places like Kumasi, Accra, and settlements in the southern economic belt pull people away from the savanna regions. Tamale is the only northern exception. The national electricity grid reaching the north in the late 1980s might have slowed the migration south, but who knows. People move. It's what they do.
Ghana, despite the urban drift, is still largely a nation of rural communities. In 1992, 67% of the population lived in rural areas. Back in the 1970s, it was 72%. They even had a "Rural Manifesto" in 1984. Tried to make rural living more appealing. Set up rural banks, intensified electrification. Decentralized administration, they called it. District assemblies. All sounds very… organized. Whether it actually made a difference is another question.
Demographic Trends
Ghana’s first census after independence, in 1961, found about 6.7 million inhabitants. From 1965 to 1989, a steady 45% of the female population was of childbearing age. It’s a constant, a biological imperative.
Age Structure
Let's look at the numbers from the 2010 census, broken down by age and sex. It’s a snapshot.
| Age Group | Male | Female | Total | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 0.09 |
And a broader breakdown:
| Age group | Male | Female | Total | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
The 2015 estimates paint a similar picture, with a slightly larger population base.
| 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 |
And the broader breakdown for 2015:
| 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 |
It’s a young population. Always has been. A lot of potential, I suppose. Or a lot of mouths to feed. Depends on your perspective.
Vital Statistics
The United Nations keeps track of this sort of thing. They publish estimates and projections, which are… estimates. And projections. Take them with a grain of salt, or perhaps a whole shaker.
Here's a glimpse at some of the figures, looking at live births, deaths, and the like.
| Year | 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 |
| 1960 | 6,912,000 | 344,000 | 131,000 | 213,000 | 49.8 | 19.0 | 30.8 | 6.85 | 123.1 | 47.10 |
| 1970 | 8,862,000 | 418,000 | 163,000 | 255,000 | 47.2 | 18.4 | 28.8 | 6.95 | 120.1 | 47.81 |
| 1980 | 11,865,000 | 532,000 | 179,000 | 353,000 | 44.8 | 15.1 | 29.7 | 6.52 | 101.6 | 51.12 |
| 1990 | 15,447,000 | 625,000 | 178,000 | 447,000 | 40.4 | 11.5 | 28.9 | 5.71 | 79.8 | 55.62 |
| 2000 | 19,666,000 | 706,000 | 195,000 | 510,000 | 35.9 | 9.9 | 25.9 | 4.85 | 64.3 | 58.20 |
| 2010 | 25,575,000 | 844,000 | 221,000 | 624,000 | 33.0 | 8.6 | 24.4 | 4.21 | 47.0 | 61.16 |
| 2020 | 31,888,000 | 875,000 | 237,000 | 637,000 | 27.4 | 7.4 | 20.0 | 3.54 | 33.5 | 64.3 |
| 2023 | 33,788,000 | 889,000 | 238,000 | 651,000 | 26.3 | 7.0 | 19.3 | 3.40 | 30.7 | 65.5 |
It’s a clear trend: birth rates are coming down, death rates are coming down, life expectancy is going up. The natural increase, while still significant, is slowing. It's the arc of development, I suppose. Less chaotic. Less… visceral.
Demographics and Health Surveys
The Demographics Health Surveys provide more granular data. It's a bit of a mess of numbers, frankly.
| 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) |
The trend is consistent: fewer births, fewer children per woman, especially in urban areas. The "wanted" fertility rate is also lower. People are having fewer children, and they seem to be having the number they actually want. Progress, I suppose.
And then there are the fertility and births figures from the censuses.
| 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 |
Again, the numbers are heading downwards. The CBR (Crude Birth Rate) and TFR (Total Fertility Rate) are dropping across the board.
Let's look at births and deaths again, just for clarity.
| 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 |
These are the hard numbers. The raw data.
The 2014 and 2022 Demographic and Health Surveys offer regional breakdowns. It's a bit much to go through all of it, but the pattern is clear: the Northern Region consistently has higher fertility rates than, say, Greater Accra. It's the urban-rural divide, writ large across the country. Even within the newly formed regions in 2018/2019, the trends hold. For example, the Western North Region and Savannah Region show higher fertility rates.
Ethnic Groups
Ghana is a tapestry. A very complex, sometimes tangled, tapestry. Over seventy native ethnic groups. The major ones?
- Akan: 45.7%
- Mole-Dagbon: 18.5%
- Ewe: 13.9%
- Ga-Dangme: 7.1%
- Gurma: 6.4%
- Guan: 3.2%
- Grusi: 2.7%
- Mande: 2%
- Others: 1.6%
And then there are the non-indigenous populations. Over 10,000 Lebanese people, for instance. It’s a mix. Always has been.
Languages
English is the official language. The lingua franca. But it's not the only one spoken. About 80 languages in total. The most widely spoken indigenous language is Akan.
Eleven languages have official government sponsorship: four from the Akan group (Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, Fante, and Nzema), and two from the Mole–Dagbani group (Dagaare and Dagbanli). Then there are Ewe, Dangme, Ga, Gonja, Kasem, and Hausa. It's a lot of different ways to say things.
Religion
The 2021 census provides the religious breakdown:
- Christian: 71.3% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 31.6%, Protestant 17.4%, Catholic 10%, other 12.3%)
- Muslim: 19.9%
- Traditionalist: 3.2%
- Hindu: 2.1%
- Other: 1.3%
- None: 1.1%
It's a diverse spiritual landscape. Though, as you can see, Christianity is the dominant force.
There. That's the demographic data. Satisfied? Don't expect me to find it fascinating. It's just… information. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have more important things to ignore.