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Ghana in NumbersGhana Statistical Service

Chapter 3

Population and Society

How many people live in Ghana, how the population is changing in age, place and household, how long people live, and how they move between regions and abroad.

Sources
2010 and 2021 PHC, 2021–2050 projections, GDHS
Latest
2025 projection

Total population

33.7million

2025Projection

30.8 million at the 2021 census

Growth rate

2.1% a year

2010–2021

2.7% in 1984–2000

Life expectancy

65.1years

At birth, 2021

Women 66.8, men 63.3 years

Urban population

58.7%

2025Projection

19.8 million people

Fertility rate

3.9children per woman

2022 GDHS

6.4 in 1988

A growing population

Ghana adds between half a million and 700,000 people a year, though the growth rate has slowed.

§3.1 · pp. 12–13

Population size

Million people

2000–2025

33.7 millionprojected for 2025, up from 18.9 million in 2000

  • Census count
  • Intercensal estimate
  • Projection
Filled markers are census counts (2000, 2010, 2021); hollow markers are intercensal estimates; the dashed segment shows projections from the 2021 census. Values rounded to one decimal.

Source: GSS 2010 and 2021 PHC; 2021–2050 Population Projections · Figure 3.1, p. 12

View data
Population, million, 2000–2025
YearPopulation (million)Type
200018.9Census count
200119.3Intercensal estimate
200219.8Intercensal estimate
200320.4Intercensal estimate
200421.1Intercensal estimate
200521.8Intercensal estimate
200622.6Intercensal estimate
200723.3Intercensal estimate
200823.8Intercensal estimate
200924.3Intercensal estimate
201024.7Census count
201125.2Intercensal estimate
201225.8Intercensal estimate
201326.4Intercensal estimate
201426.9Intercensal estimate
201527.5Intercensal estimate
201628.0Intercensal estimate
201728.6Intercensal estimate
201829.2Intercensal estimate
201929.7Intercensal estimate
202030.3Intercensal estimate
202130.8Census count
202231.5Projection
202332.3Projection
202433.0Projection
202533.7Projection

Intercensal growth

Average annual growth rate and years to double at that rate

1984–2021

Intercensal growth rate and doubling time, 1984–2021
PeriodYearsGrowth rateDoubling time
1984–2000162.7%25.9 yrs
2000–2010102.5%28.0 yrs
2010–2021112.1%33.3 yrs

Growth slowed from 2.7% to 2.1% a year, so doubling time lengthened from 25.9 to 33.3 years. The population still grows by roughly half a million to 700,000 people a year.

Doubling time assumes each period’s growth rate stays unchanged; it is an illustration, not a forecast.

Source: GSS 2021–2050 Population Projections · Table 3.1, p. 13

View data
Intercensal growth rate and doubling time
PeriodYearsGrowth rate (%)Doubling time (years)
1984–2000162.725.9
2000–2010102.528.0
2010–2021112.133.3

Population composition

A youthful population with a small female majority.

§3.2 · pp. 14–15

Age–sex structure

Population by five-year age group, million

2025Projection

  • Male
  • Female
Bars extend left for males and right for females; both sides are positive counts.

Source: GSS 2010 and 2021 PHC; 2021–2050 Population Projections · Figure 3.2, p. 14

View data
Population by age and sex, 2025, million
Age groupMale (million)Female (million)
0-42.172.14
5-91.931.89
10-141.861.81
15-191.681.65
20-241.601.63
25-291.381.46
30-341.221.33
35-391.121.18
40-440.940.99
45-490.750.75
50-540.590.59
55-590.440.48
60-640.320.37
65-690.260.31
70-740.160.19
75-790.110.14
80+0.100.18

Population composition

% of total population, by sex

2025Projection

49.3%

Male

16.6 million

50.7%

Female

17.1 million

A small female majority: about 0.5 million more females than males.

Source: GSS 2021–2050 Population Projections · Figure 3.3, p. 15; Table 2.1, p. 5

View data
Population by sex, 2025
SexShare (%)Million
Male49.316.6
Female50.717.1

Population by age group

% of total population

2025Projection

  • 12.8% ages 0–4Infants & Toddlers
  • 11.3% ages 5–9Early Childhood
  • 20.7% ages 10–19Adolescents
  • 25.6% ages 20–34Young Adults
  • 23.2% ages 35–59Middle Aged Adults
  • 6.3% ages 60+Older Adults / Elderly
Age groups span different numbers of years and differ from the 15–24 and 15–35 youth definitions. Shares total 99.9% because of rounding.

Source: GSS 2021–2050 Population Projections · Figure 3.3, p. 15

View data
Population by age group, 2025
Age groupShare (%)
0–4 (infants & toddlers)12.8
5–9 (early childhood)11.3
10–19 (adolescents)20.7
20–34 (young adults)25.6
35–59 (middle aged adults)23.2
60+ (older adults / elderly)6.3

Ghana is becoming more urbanised

Close to six in ten people are projected to live in towns and cities in 2025.

§3.3 · pp. 16–17

Urban–rural distribution

% of total population

1984–2025

2025 Projection

58.7%

Urban

19.80 million

41.3%

Rural

13.95 million

Close to six in ten people are projected to live in towns and cities, up from about three in ten in 1984.

  • Urban
  • Rural
Census years 1984–2021; 2025 is a projection. Years are unevenly spaced. Ghana became more urban than rural around 2010. A falling rural share does not mean fewer rural residents.

Source: GSS 2010 and 2021 PHC; 2021–2050 Population Projections · Figure 3.5, p. 17; p. 17 text

View data
Urban and rural population
YearUrban (%)Rural (%)Urban (million)Rural (million)
198432.068.0Not printedNot printed
200043.856.28.2810.63
201050.949.112.5512.11
202156.743.317.4713.36
2025 (projection)58.741.319.8013.95

Counts for 1984 are not printed in the publication.

Fertility and household size

Women are having fewer children, and households are getting smaller.

§3.4–3.5 · pp. 19–20

Fertility rate

Total fertility rate, children per woman

1988–2022

  1. 6.4 children per woman1988
  2. 5.2 children per woman1993
  3. 4.2 children per woman2014
  4. 3.9 children per woman2022

Women are having fewer children: 3.9 per woman in 2022, down from 6.4 in 1988.

Survey years are unevenly spaced; values are not available between them.

Source: GDHS 1988, 1993, 2014 and 2022 · Figure 3.7, p. 19

View data
Total fertility rate
Survey yearChildren per woman
19886.4
19935.2
20144.2
20223.9

Average household size

Persons per household

1984–2021

  1. 4.9 persons per household1984
  2. 5.1 persons per household2000
  3. 4.4 persons per household2010
  4. 3.6 persons per household2021

Households are getting smaller: 3.6 persons in 2021, down from a peak of 5.1 in 2000.

An average across households: smaller households mean more homes are needed for the same population.

Source: GSS PHC · Figure 3.8, p. 20

View data
Average household size
Census yearPersons per household
19844.9
20005.1
20104.4
20213.6

Life expectancy

Ghanaians are living far longer than in 1960; women outlive men.

§3.6 · pp. 21–22

Life expectancy at birth

Years

1960–2021

65.1 years in 2021, up 24.8 years from 40.3 in 1960. Women live longer than men.

  • 66.8 yearsWomen
  • 63.3 yearsMen
Survey and census years are unevenly spaced.

Source: GSS 2021 PHC · Figure 3.9, p. 21

View data
Life expectancy at birth
YearYears
196040.3
197146.0
198056.0
199354.7
199856.7
200357.4
200862.3
201061.8
202165.1

Remaining life expectancy by age and sex

Additional years expected at each age

2021

  • Male
  • Female
Women can expect 66.8 years at birth and men 63.3. The gap narrows with age: at 60, about 16.0 more years for women and 15.7 for men.

Source: GSS 2021 PHC · Figure 3.10, p. 22

View data
Life expectancy by age and sex, 2021
Age groupMale (years)Female (years)
Under 163.366.8
1-465.368.4
5-962.164.9
10-1457.660.2
15-1952.955.4
20-2448.550.7
25-2944.346.1
30-3440.041.6
35-3935.737.0
40-4431.332.5
45-4927.128.1
50-5423.123.9
55-5919.319.9
60-6415.716.0
65-6912.512.6
70-749.69.9
75-797.57.9
80+7.17.4

Migration and population distribution

Where people live, which regions gain population through migration, and why Ghanaians move abroad. Migration compares region of birth with region of enumeration at each census.

§3.3–3.4, §3.7–3.8 · pp. 16–26

Regional share of population

Share of national population (%)

2025 projectionProjection

Hover or focus on a region to read its value.

Share of national population (%)

  • 1.8%–2.4%
  • 2.4%–4.0%
  • 4.0%–5.2%
  • 5.2%–9.1%
  • 9.1%–18.2%

Regions ranked, highest first

  1. 1Greater Accra18.2%
  2. 2Ashanti17.0%
  3. 3Central9.4%
  4. 4Eastern9.1%
  5. 5Northern7.9%
  6. 6Western6.7%
  7. 7Volta5.2%
  8. 8Upper East4.2%
  9. 9Bono4.0%
  10. 10Bono East4.0%
  11. 11Upper West3.0%
  12. 12Western North2.8%
  13. 13Oti2.4%
  14. 14Savannah2.2%
  15. 15North East2.2%
  16. 16Ahafo1.8%
Greater Accra and Ashanti together hold more than a third of the population. Bars are drawn on a 0–100% scale.

Source: GSS PHC 2010 and 2021; GDHS 2022; 2021–2050 Population Projections · Figure 3.6, p. 18; Table 2.1, p. 5

View data
Regional population indicators
RegionShare 2010 (%)Share 2021 (%)Share 2025 (%)Density 2010Density 2021TFR 2022Net migration 2021
Western6.76.76.7120.2148.93.6111,000
Central8.99.39.4223.9291.03.6-58,000
Greater Accra16.217.718.21,235.51,681.32.91,106,000
Volta6.05.45.2155.8174.63.2-435,000
Eastern10.79.59.1136.2151.43.5-244,000
Ashanti19.417.617.0195.9223.13.5208,000
Western North2.92.92.870.687.43.855,000
Ahafo2.01.81.893.2108.74.319,000
Bono3.73.94.083.0108.83.7-23,000
Bono East3.73.94.038.951.84.769,000
Oti2.62.42.457.567.55.2-35,000
Northern6.37.57.958.287.15.6-179,000
Savannah1.92.12.213.518.85.8-32,000
North East1.92.12.251.272.76.6-82,000
Upper East4.24.24.2118.3147.24.6-292,000
Upper West2.82.93.038.048.84.5-190,000

Density in persons per km². Net migration rounded to the nearest thousand in the source.

Enumerated outside region of birth

27.0%

2021, down from 34.7% in 2010 · Figure 3.12

Ghanaians recorded abroad

293,416

2021, up from 250,624 in 2010 · Figure 3.14

Emigrants who left for work

73.4%

Emigrants aged 15+, 2021 · Figure 3.15

Immigrants in the population

1.0%

2021, down 0.6 percentage points from 2010 · Figure 3.17

Net migration by region

Net lifetime migrants, persons (rounded)

2021 census

  • Net gain
  • Net loss
Bars right of zero are net gains; bars left of zero are net losses. A loss does not mean nobody moved in.

Source: GSS 2021 PHC · Figure 3.11, p. 23

View data
Net migration by region, 2021
RegionNet migration (persons)
Greater Accra1,106,000
Ashanti208,000
Western111,000
Bono East69,000
Western North55,000
Ahafo19,000
Bono-23,000
Savannah-32,000
Oti-35,000
Central-58,000
North East-82,000
Northern-179,000
Upper West-190,000
Eastern-244,000
Upper East-292,000
Volta-435,000

Internal migration over time

% of people enumerated outside their region of birth

2000, 2010 and 2021 censuses

  1. 30.2% per cent2000
  2. 34.7% per cent2010
  3. 27.0% per cent2021

About 3 in 10 Ghanaians live outside their region of birth (2021).

Lifetime migration: region of birth compared with region of enumeration. It does not count every move a person made.

Source: GSS PHC 2000, 2010 and 2021 · Figure 3.12, p. 24

View data
Internal migrants, % of population
Census yearEnumerated outside region of birth (%)
200030.2
201034.7
202127.0

Census-recorded Ghanaians abroad

Persons reported as living abroad

2010 and 2021 censuses

250,6242010

293,4162021

+42,792 (+17.1%)change between the two censuses

Census reporting by household members does not capture every Ghanaian abroad.

Source: GSS 2010 and 2021 PHC · Figure 3.14, p. 25

View data
Census-recorded emigrants
Census yearPersons
2010250,624
2021293,416

Immigrants as a share of the population

% of Ghana’s total population

2010 and 2021 censuses

1.6%2010
1.0%2021

About 1 in 100 people in 2021, 0.6 percentage points lower than in 2010.

Each square is 1% of the population. A population share is not the number of people arriving in a year.

Source: GSS 2010 and 2021 PHC · Figure 3.17, p. 26

View data
Immigrants, % of population
Census yearImmigrants (%)
20101.6
20211.0

Reasons for emigrating

% of census-recorded emigrants aged 15 and over

2021 census

  • Employment

    73.4%

  • Education or training

    14.6%

  • Marriage or family

    9.6%

  • Settlement

    2.1%

  • Other or health

    0.4%

Work dominates: about three in four emigrants left for employment.

Bars are drawn on a 0–100% scale. Shares may not total 100% because of rounding.

Source: GSS 2021 PHC · Figure 3.15, p. 25

View data
Reasons for emigrating
Reason% of emigrants aged 15+
Employment73.4
Education / training14.6
Marriage / family9.6
Settlement2.1
Other / health0.4

Migrants into and out of each region

Lifetime internal migrants, persons

2021 census

  • In-migrants
  • Out-migrants
In-migrants were born elsewhere in Ghana and counted in the region; out-migrants were born in the region and counted elsewhere. Net = in − out, matching the net-migration figures. Regions sorted by net gain.

Source: GSS 2021 PHC · Figure 3.13, p. 24 (totals labelled in the chart)

View data
Lifetime internal migrants by region, 2021
RegionIn-migrantsOut-migrantsNet
Greater Accra1,492,378386,3771,106,001
Ashanti768,918561,064207,854
Western328,171216,882111,289
Bono East189,427120,83968,588
Western North155,841100,59155,250
Ahafo115,23995,82919,410
Bono150,148172,759-22,611
Savannah47,32379,601-32,278
Oti76,049110,969-34,920
Central437,518495,404-57,886
North East15,29496,819-81,525
Northern91,134269,712-178,578
Upper West36,411226,226-189,815
Eastern378,422622,350-243,928
Upper East32,378324,340-291,962
Volta120,595555,484-434,889

Where emigrants live

% of census-recorded emigrants, by destination

2021 census

  • Europe37.6%
  • Americas23.7%
  • ECOWAS23.3%
  • Other Africa10.0%
  • Asia4.7%
  • Oceania0.7%

Europe is the most common destination, followed by the Americas and ECOWAS countries.

ECOWAS and Other Africa are separate categories. Bars are drawn on a 0–100% scale. Shares may not total 100% because of rounding.

Source: GSS 2021 PHC · Figure 3.16, p. 26

View data
Destinations of emigrants
Destination% of emigrants
Europe37.6
Americas23.7
ECOWAS23.3
Other Africa10.0
Asia4.7
Oceania0.7