We are now 24.7 million

Ghana’s population increased by 30.4 percent in the decade from 2000 to 2010, latest Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) data have revealed.

The population grew from 18,912,079 to 24,658,823 within the period, according to the census conducted in 2010.   

The gender ratio stands at 95 males per 100 females, with the total number of females rising to 12,633,978, representing 51.2 percent, while males number 12,024,845, representing 48.8 percent of the entire population.

The population density, a measure of the number of people per square kilometre, for the country increased from 79 in 2000 to 103 in 2010. 

Ashanti Region had the highest population of 4,780,380, representing 19.4 percent; followed by Greater Accra Region with 4,010,054, representing 16.3 percent. Upper West Region had the lowest population of 702,110 with a growth rate of 1.9 percent.

The regional breakdown of the current population figures are: Eastern Region, 2,633,154 representing10.7 percent; Northern Region, 2,479,461 representing 10.1 percent; Western Region, 2,376,021 representing 9.6 percent; Brong Ahafo Region, 2,310,983 representing 9.4 percent; Central Region, 2, 201,863 representing 8.9 percent; Volta Region, 2,118, 252 representing 8.6 percent; and Upper East Region, 1,046,545 representing 4.2 percent.

“The 2010 Population and Housing Census, the fifth to be conducted in Ghana since independence, was undertaken to fill the substantial data-gaps that had arisen from the creation of new districts. It is the second time a population and housing census has been conducted as a single operation,” said Dr. Philomena Nyarko, acting Government Statistician, at a media conference for final presentation of the national census figures in Accra.

She explained that the provisional figures of the 2010 Population and Housing Census were released in February 2011, three months after the end of the official enumeration, and that the latest results were based on 10 administrative regions and the 170 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies that existed at the time of the census.

Dr. Nyarko said the main enumeration started when the census night was declared on September 26, 2010, with the objective of providing the country with up-to-date socio-economic data for planning and evaluating various government policies and intervention programmes at national, regional and district levels.

 

She explained that the enumeration phase involved the deployment of over 50,000 trained field personnel to every part of the country to collect information on households, individuals, housing units and community facilities.

Topics selected for inclusion in the census questionnaire were based on UN recommendations for 2010 Round of Population and Housing Censuses worldwide and on the needs of data users with new topics like agriculture, external emigration, ICT, date of birth, pregnancy-related deaths and disability.

The final report included all the figures from the district level, some of which were involved in disputes over boundaries and that led to the formation of a committee by the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development to investigate and help resolve the disputes, she said.

Dr. Bernard Coquelin, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative, speaking on behalf of development partners, said: “The period for release of the census results was still well within the average time it took other countries in Africa to complete data processing and release final census results.”

He expressed delight that the country has been able to conduct a census within the world census programme, which was adopted by the UN Economic and Social Council in 2005 in New York.

“No doubt, presentation of these results to a wide spectrum of stakeholders will facilitate greater utilisation of the data. We believe that the use of census data, together with data from other surveys, to guide policy formulation, development of national and sub-national plans, expenditure frameworks, and budgeting as well as resource allocation will ultimately deliver better and more effective planning, improved monitoring of interventions, and more efficient resource allocation for development of the country.

“While looking forward to further dissemination of the census data and products at all levels of governance, the development partners pledge their continued commitment and support to the  government and citizenry in strengthening data systems and structures that will ensure timely availability of gender-disaggregated data to guide policy formulation, planning and monitoring,” Dr. Coquelin remarked.