In 1957, Ghana became the first former colony in West Africa to achieve independence. The country is rich in natural resources such as gold and cocoa, and has started extracting oil. Ghana is considered one of the most stable democracies in Africa.

Key figures and facts

• Capital: Accra
• Ethnic groups: Akan 47.5%, mole diary 16.6%, equally 13.9%, ga-dangme 7.4%, gurma 5.7%, guan 3.7%, gravel 2.5%, man 1.1 %, other 1.4% (2010)
• Language: Asante 16%, even 14%, fante 11.6%, boron 4.9%, dagomba 4.4%, dangme 4.2%, dagarte 3.9%, konkomba 3.5% acyem 3.2%, ga 3.1%, others, including English (official) 31.2% (2010)
• Religion: Christians 71.2%, Muslims 17.6%, traditional 5.2%, other/none 6% (2010)
• Population: 29 463 643
• Control Form: Constitutional democracy
• Area: 238 540 Km2
• Currency: Cedi
• GNP per capita: 4,292 PPP $
• National Day: March 6th

Population of Ghana

Ghana’s population was estimated at 29,340,000 in 2020. The annual population growth is 2.1 percent. Ghana has a young population, where 56 percent of the population is under 25, and only 4.4 percent are over 65 (2020).

Emigration, primarily illegal immigration to Nigeria, for many years reduced the overall population growth, but in the second half of the 1980s, an estimated 1.3 million Ghanaians were expelled from Nigeria and moved back home.

Infant mortality has been sharply reduced in recent decades, and is estimated at 32 per 1,000 live births in 2020. In 2013, the figure was 52.3 per 1,000 live births, which was half that of 1980. Each woman has an average of 3.9 children (2020).

In 2018, it was estimated that 1.7 percent of the population lived with HIV/AIDS, down from 2.3 in the year 2000. Life expectancy at birth is 70 years for women and 65.6 years for men.

Population of Ghana by Year (Historical)

Year	Population	Annual Growth Rate	Population Density	Global Rank
2020	31,072,829	2.150%	136.5603	47
2019	30,417,745	2.190%	133.6814	46
2018	29,766,991	2.220%	130.8214	46
2017	29,121,354	2.250%	127.9839	47
2016	28,481,834	2.270%	125.1733	47
2015	27,849,094	2.360%	122.3926	47
2010	24,779,508	2.580%	108.9022	47
2005	21,814,531	2.500%	95.8717	49
2000	19,278,745	2.530%	84.7273	50
1995	17,013,946	2.860%	74.7739	52
1990	14,773,166	2.940%	64.9261	53
1985	12,783,502	2.950%	56.1818	53
1980	11,056,005	2.060%	48.5898	55
1975	9,985,835	2.710%	43.8865	57
1970	8,735,384	2.450%	38.3910	59
1965	7,739,362	3.130%	34.0137	65
1960	6,635,119	2.970%	29.1607	66
1955	5,730,483	2.620%	25.1850	66
1950	5,036,035	0.000%	22.1330	66

Major Cities in Ghana by Population

Rank	City	Population
1	Accra	1,963,153
2	Kumasi	1,468,498
3	Tamale	360,468
4	Takoradi	232,808
5	Atsiaman	202,821
6	Tema	155,671
7	Teshi Old Town	143,902
8	Cape Coast	142,904
9	Sekondi-Takoradi	138,761
10	Obuase	137,745
11	Medina Estates	101,096
12	Koforidua	96,155
13	Japekrom	95,889
14	Wa	77,996
15	Ejura	70,696
16	Nungua	70,372
17	Sunyani	70,188
18	Ho	69,887
19	Techiman	69,609
20	Aflao	66,435
21	Berekum	62,253
22	Akim Oda	60,493
23	Bawku	56,719
24	Hohoe	56,091
25	Bolgatanga	54,319
26	Tafo	50,346
27	Swedru	50,182
28	Suhum	49,287
29	Dome	47,149
30	Kintampo	47,074
31	Gbawe	44,534
32	Nsawam	44,411
33	Winneba	44,143
34	Kasoa	44,116
35	Yendi	42,861
36	Mampong	41,926
37	Konongo	41,127
38	Asamankese	39,324
39	Prestea	35,044
40	Tarkwa	34,830
41	Dunkwa	33,268
42	Agogo	31,443
43	Wenchi	31,300
44	Anloga	29,637
45	Begoro	29,405
46	Savelugu	29,199
47	Kpandu	28,223
48	Elmina	25,449
49	Salaga	25,361
50	Navrongo	25,359
51	Saltpond	24,578
52	Axim	24,389
53	Akwatia	23,655
54	Shama Junction	20,835
55	Apam	20,036
56	Foso	19,967
57	Bibiani	18,965
58	Aburi	18,288
59	Keta	17,966
60	Bechem	16,889
61	Duayaw Nkwanta	16,889
62	Mumford	13,872
63	Akropong	10,985
64	Kete Krachi	10,889
65	Akim Swedru	9,889
66	Kibi	9,288
67	Mpraeso	8,896
68	Aboso	8,679
69	Kpandae	8,541

Ethnic conditions

Ghana’s population is divided into almost 75 people with different languages ​​and cultural traditions. The vast majority of the groups are very small; 65 of them individually constitute less than 1 percent of Ghana’s total population. Akanting people, including Ashanti, Fanti Abron and Anyi, dominate in the south (44 percent of the population), ga-adangme in and around the capital (around 8 percent of the population), and even further east (13 percent of the population). In the north there are a number of herb-speaking groups of people, including Dagomba, Mamprusi, Konkomba and Dagari.

Ghana’s authorities have followed a consistent policy to equalize inequalities and contradictions between ethnic groups, and conflicts on such grounds are relatively small, but there have been several cases of ethnic clashes in the northern part of the country in the mid-1990s.

Many of Ghana’s ethnic groups traditionally have matrilineal kinship systems, and women play a key role in trade, for example. This role gives them influence in other areas as well.

Settlement

By African scale, Ghana is relatively densely populated, 113.8 residents per square kilometer (World Bank 2013). The population density is greatest in the central coastal areas. 57 percent of the population lives in cities (2020). The largest city is the capital city of Accra with about 10 percent of the population (Ghana Embassy in Washington). Other major cities are Kumasi, Tamale, Tema and Sekondi-Takoradi.

Language

The official language is English. The most widely spoken languages ​​belong to the Gur and Kwas languages of the Niger Congo family. Mossi in the north are spoken by yeast. In the south and east, the Kwa languages ​​predominate akan, ewe and ga-adangme.

Religion

About 38 percent practice traditional forms of religion, and many combine these with Christianity or Islam. The figures are therefore uncertain regarding the support of Islam (Sunni and Ahmadiyya), and Christianity (Presbyterians, Pentecostal and Adventist, Catholic, indigenous churches). In 2010, 71 percent were considered Christians and 17 percent as Muslims.