ARCHIVE // GH // 2016

Ghana

2016 Edition — sovereign

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Communications
Broadcast media [time series]
state-owned TV station, 2 state-owned radio networks; several privately owned TV stations and a large number of privately owned radio stations; transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are accessible; several cable and satellite TV subscription services are obtainable (2007)
Internet country code [time series]
.gh
Internet users [time series]
total: 6.181 million | percent of population: 23.5% (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 68
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed; outdated and unreliable fixed-line infrastructure heavily concentrated in Accra | domestic: competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with a subscribership of more than 130 per 100 persons and rising | international: country code - 233; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, Main One, and GLO-1 fiber-optic submarine cables that provide connectivity to South Africa, Europe, and Asia; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors (2015)
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total subscriptions: 275,570 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 120
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total: 35.008 million | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 133 (July 2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 42
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
cocoa, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber
Budget [time series]
revenues: $8.376 billion | expenditures: $10.92 billion (2015 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-7.1% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 191
Central bank discount rate [time series]
21% (31 December 2014) | 16% (31 December 2013) | country comparison to the world: 4
Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]
28.6% (31 December 2015 est.) | 27% (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 5
Current account balance [time series]
-$2.99 billion (2015 est.) | -$3.698 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 157
Debt - external [time series]
$19.15 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $17.61 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 88
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]
42.3 (2012-13) | 41.9 (2005-06) | country comparison to the world: 53
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
Ghana's economy was strengthened by a quarter century of relatively sound management, a competitive business environment, and sustained reductions in poverty levels, but in recent years has suffered the consequences of loose fiscal policy, high budget and current account deficits, and a depreciating currency. Ghana has a market-based economy with relatively few policy barriers to trade and investment in comparison with other countries in the region, and Ghana is well-endowed with natural resources. | Agriculture accounts for nearly one-quarter of GDP and employs more than half of the workforce, mainly small landholders. The services sector accounts for about half of GDP. Gold and cocoa exports, and individual remittances, are major sources of foreign exchange. Expansion of Ghana’s nascent oil industry has boosted economic growth, but the recent oil price crash reduced by half Ghana’s 2015 oil revenue. Production at Jubilee, Ghana's offshore oilfield, began in mid-December 2010 and currently produces roughly 110,000 barrels per day. The country’s first gas processing plant at Atubao is also producing natural gas from the Jubilee field, providing power to several of Ghana’s thermal power plants. | As of 2015, the biggest single economic issue facing Ghana is the lack of consistent electricity. While the MAHAMA administration is taking steps to improve the situation, little progress has been made. Ghana signed a $920 million extended credit facility with the IMF in April 2015 to help it address its growing economic crisis. The IMF fiscal targets will require Ghana to reduce the fiscal deficit by cutting subsidies, decreasing the bloated public sector wage bill, strengthening revenue administration, and increasing revenues. The challenge for Ghana will come as the MAHAMA Administration approaches the November 2016 elections, facing public dissatisfaction in the midst of economic austerity.
Exchange rates [time series]
cedis (GHC) per US dollar - | 3.712 (2015 est.) | 2.895 (2014 est.) | 2.895 (2013 est.) | 1.8 (2012 est.) | 1.512 (2011 est.)
Exports [time series]
$10.36 billion (2015 est.) | $13.22 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 89
Exports - commodities [time series]
oil, gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds, horticultural products
Exports - partners [time series]
India 25.2%, Switzerland 12.2%, China 10.6%, France 5.7% (2015)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$36.04 billion (2015 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$114.7 billion (2015 est.) | $110.8 billion (2014 est.) | $106.6 billion (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 82
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 66.5% | government consumption: 19% | investment in fixed capital: 23.6% | investment in inventories: 1.6% | exports of goods and services: 44.1% | imports of goods and services: -54.8% (2015 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 20.7% | industry: 27.7% | services: 51.6% (2015 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$4,300 (2015 est.) | $4,200 (2014 est.) | $4,200 (2013 est.) | note: data are in 2015 US dollars | country comparison to the world: 176
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
3.5% (2015 est.) | 4% (2014 est.) | 7.3% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 72
Gross national saving [time series]
17% of GDP (2015 est.) | 17.7% of GDP (2014 est.) | 15.6% of GDP (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 104
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 2% | highest 10%: 32.8% (2006)
Imports [time series]
$13.47 billion (2015 est.) | $14.6 billion (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 88
Imports - commodities [time series]
capital equipment, refined petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners [time series]
China 32.6%, Nigeria 14%, Netherlands 5.5%, US 5.4% (2015)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
1.2% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 131
Industries [time series]
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building, petroleum
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
17.2% (2015 est.) | 15.5% (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 219
Labor force [time series]
11.7 million (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49
Labor force - by occupation [time series]
agriculture: 44.7% | industry: 14.4% | services: 40.9% (2013 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares [time series]
$3.465 billion (31 December 2012 est.) | $3.097 billion (31 December 2011 est.) | $3.531 billion (31 December 2010 est.) | country comparison to the world: 92
Population below poverty line [time series]
24.2% (2013 est.)
Public debt [time series]
71.8% of GDP (2015 est.) | 70.6% of GDP (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 41
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$5.885 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $5.461 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90
Stock of broad money [time series]
$12.2 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $11.69 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 103
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]
$16.62 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | $109 million (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 55
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]
$19.85 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | $118 million (31 December 2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77
Stock of domestic credit [time series]
$12.93 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $13.54 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98
Stock of narrow money [time series]
$5.736 billion (31 December 2015 est.) | $5.663 billion (31 December 2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 94
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
23.2% of GDP (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 138
Unemployment rate [time series]
5.2% (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 54
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
11 million Mt (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106
Crude oil - exports [time series]
98,700 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37
Crude oil - imports [time series]
26,040 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 66
Crude oil - production [time series]
102,400 bbl/day (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
660 million bbl (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 45
Electricity - consumption [time series]
9.2 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 88
Electricity - exports [time series]
500 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 77
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
45.4% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 156
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
54.6% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 44
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 98
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2012 est.) | country comparison to the world: 177
Electricity - imports [time series]
51 million kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 106
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
2.847 million kW (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 96
Electricity - production [time series]
13 billion kWh (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90
Electricity access [time series]
population without electricity: 7,300,000 | electrification - total population: 72% | electrification - urban areas: 92% | electrification - rural areas: 50% (2013)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
650 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 99
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 105
Natural gas - imports [time series]
600 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 65
Natural gas - production [time series]
50 million cu m (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 192
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
22.65 billion cu m (1 January 2016 es) | country comparison to the world: 74
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
83,000 bbl/day (2014 est.) | country comparison to the world: 85
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
1,977 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 90
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
72,850 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 60
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
10,640 bbl/day (2013 est.) | country comparison to the world: 102
Geography
Area [time series]
total: 238,533 sq km | land: 227,533 sq km | water: 11,000 sq km | country comparison to the world: 82
Area - comparative [time series]
slightly smaller than Oregon
Climate [time series]
tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north
Coastline [time series]
539 km
Elevation [time series]
mean elevation: 190 m | elevation extremes: lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m | highest point: Mount Afadjato 885 m
Environment - current issues [time series]
recurrent drought in north severely affects agricultural activities; deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; poaching and habitat destruction threatens wildlife populations; water pollution; inadequate supplies of potable water
International environmental agreements (Environment - international agreements) [time series]
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands | signed, but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation
Geographic coordinates [time series]
8 00 N, 2 00 W
Geography - note [time series]
Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake (manmade reservoir) by surface area (8,482 sq km; 3,275 sq mi); the lake was created following the completion of the Akosombo Dam in 1965, which holds back the White Volta and Black Volta Rivers
Irrigated land [time series]
340 sq km (2012)
Land boundaries [time series]
total: 2,420 km | border countries (3): Burkina Faso 602 km, Cote d'Ivoire 720 km, Togo 1,098 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 69.1% | arable land 20.7%; permanent crops 11.9%; permanent pasture 36.5% | forest: 21.2% | other: 9.7% (2011 est.)
Location [time series]
Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo
Map references [time series]
Africa
Maritime claims [time series]
territorial sea: 12 nm | contiguous zone: 24 nm | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | continental shelf: 200 nm
Natural hazards [time series]
dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds from January to March; droughts
Natural resources [time series]
gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone
Terrain [time series]
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
10 regions; Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western
Capital [time series]
name: Accra | geographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W | time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Citizenship [time series]
citizenship by birth: no | citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Ghana | dual citizenship recognized: yes | residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years
Constitution [time series]
several previous; latest drafted 31 March 1992, approved and promulgated 28 April 1992, entered into force 7 January 1993; amended 1996 (2016)
Country name [time series]
conventional long form: Republic of Ghana | conventional short form: Ghana | former: Gold Coast | etymology: named for the medieval West African kingdom of the same name, but whose location was actually further north than the modern country
Diplomatic representation from the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Robert P. JACKSON (since 4 February 2016) | embassy: 24 Fourth Circular Rd., Cantonments, Accra | mailing address: P.O. Box 194, Accra | telephone: [233] 030-274-1000 | FAX: [233] 030-274-1389
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
chief of mission: Ambassador Lt. Gen. Joseph Henry SMITH (since September 2014) | chancery: 3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008 | telephone: [1] (202) 686-4520 | FAX: [1] (202) 686-4527 | consulate(s) general: New York
Executive branch [time series]
chief of state: President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 24 July 2012); Vice President Kwesi Bekoe AMISSAH-ARTHUR (since 6 August 2012); note - President MAHAMA assumed the presidency after the death of President John Atta MILLS and subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election; the president is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 24 July 2012); Vice President Kwesi Bekoe AMISSAH-ARTHUR (since 6 August 2012); note - President MAHAMA assumed the presidency after the death of President John Atta MILLS and subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election; the president is both chief of state and head of government | cabinet: Council of Ministers; nominated by the president, approved by Parliament | elections/appointments: president and vice president directly elected on the same ballot by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 8 December 2012 (next to be held on 7 December 2016) | election results: John Dramani MAHAMA elected president; percent of vote - John Dramani MAHAMA (NDC) 50.7%, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (NPP) 47.7%, other 1.6%
Flag (Flag description) [time series]
three equal horizontal bands of red (top), yellow, and green, with a large black five-pointed star centered in the yellow band; red symbolizes the blood shed for independence, yellow represents the country's mineral wealth, while green stands for its forests and natural wealth; the black star is said to be the lodestar of African freedom | note: uses the popular Pan-African colors of Ethiopia; similar to the flag of Bolivia, which has a coat of arms centered in the yellow band
Government type [time series]
presidential republic
Independence [time series]
6 March 1957 (from the UK)
International law organization participation [time series]
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction
International organization participation [time series]
ACP, AfDB, AU, C, ECOWAS, EITI (compliant country), FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Judicial branch [time series]
highest court(s): Supreme Court (consists of a chief justice and 12 justices) | judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the president in consultation with the Council of State (a small advisory body of prominent citizens) and with the approval of Parliament; other justices appointed by the president upon the advice of the Judicial Council (an 18-member independent body of judicial, military and police officials, and presidential nominees) and on the advice of the Council of State; justices can retire at age 60, with compulsory retirement at age 70 | subordinate courts: Court of Appeal; High Court; Circuit Court; District Court; regional tribunals
Legal system [time series]
mixed system of English common law and customary law
Legislative branch [time series]
description: unicameral Parliament (275 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms) | elections: last held on 7 - 8 December 2012 (next to be held on 7 December 2016) | election results: percent of vote by party - NPP 47.5%, NDC 46.4%, PNC 0.6%, independent 2.5%, other 3.0%; seats by party - NDC 150, NPP 120, PNC 1, independent 3, other 1
National anthem(s) (National anthem) [time series]
name: "God Bless Our Homeland Ghana" | lyrics/music: unknown/Philip GBEHO | note: music adopted 1957, lyrics adopted 1966; the lyrics were changed twice, in 1960 when a republic was declared and after a 1966 coup
National holiday [time series]
Independence Day, 6 March (1957)
National symbol(s) [time series]
black star, golden eagle; national colors: red, yellow, green, black
Political parties (Political parties and leaders) [time series]
Convention People's Party or CPP [Samia NKRUMAH] | National Democratic Congress or NDC [John Dramani MAHAMA] | New Patriotic Party or NPP [Nana AFUKO-ADDO] | People's National Convention or PNC [Hassan AYARIGA] | note: listed are four of the more popular political parties as of December 2012; there are more than 20 registered parties
Political parties (Political pressure groups and leaders) [time series]
Christian Aid (water rights) | Committee for Joint Action or CJA (social and economic issues) | National Coalition Against the Privatization of Water or CAP (water rights) | Oxfam (water rights) | Public Citizen (water rights) | Students Coalition Against EPA [Kwabena Ososukene OKAI] (education reform) | Third World Network (social and economic issues)
Suffrage [time series]
18 years of age; universal
Introduction
Background [time series]
Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president, John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election.
Military and Security
Military and security forces (Military branches) [time series]
Ghana Army, Ghana Navy, Ghana Air Force (2012)
Military expenditures [time series]
0.56% of GDP (2014) | 0.61% of GDP (2013) | 0.27% of GDP (2012) | country comparison to the world: 125
Military service age and obligation [time series]
18-26 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription; must be HIV/AIDS negative (2012)
People and Society
Age structure [time series]
0-14 years: 38.2% (male 5,164,505/female 5,113,185) | 15-24 years: 18.66% (male 2,498,185/female 2,522,353) | 25-54 years: 34.05% (male 4,445,321/female 4,716,311) | 55-64 years: 4.91% (male 642,984/female 678,784) | 65 years and over: 4.19% (male 520,589/female 606,045) (2016 est.)
Birth rate [time series]
30.8 births/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 38
Child labor - children ages 5-14 [time series]
total number: 1,806,750 | percentage: 34% (2006 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
11% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 55
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
19.5% (2013)
Death rate [time series]
7.1 deaths/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 133
Demographic profile [time series]
Ghana has a young age structure, with approximately 57% of the population under the age of 25. Its total fertility rate fell significantly during the 1980s and 1990s but has stalled at around four children per woman for the last few years. Fertility remains higher in the northern region than the Greater Accra region. On average, desired fertility has remained stable for several years; urban dwellers want fewer children than rural residents. Increased life expectancy, due to better health care, nutrition, and hygiene, and reduced fertility have increased Ghana’s share of elderly persons; Ghana’s proportion of persons aged 60+ is among the highest in sub-Saharan Africa. Poverty has declined in Ghana, but it remains pervasive in the northern region, which is susceptible to droughts and floods and has less access to transportation infrastructure, markets, fertile farming land, and industrial centers. The northern region also has lower school enrollment, higher illiteracy, and fewer opportunities for women. | Ghana was a country of immigration in the early years after its 1957 independence, attracting labor migrants largely from Nigeria and other neighboring countries to mine minerals and harvest cocoa – immigrants composed about 12% of Ghana’s population in 1960. In the late 1960s, worsening economic and social conditions discouraged immigration, and hundreds of thousands of immigrants, mostly Nigerians, were expelled. | During the 1970s, severe drought and an economic downturn transformed Ghana into a country of emigration; neighboring Cote d’Ivoire was the initial destination. Later, hundreds of thousands of Ghanaians migrated to Nigeria to work in its booming oil industry, but most were deported in 1983 and 1985 as oil prices plummeted. Many Ghanaians then turned to more distant destinations, including other parts of Africa, Europe, and North America, but the majority continued to migrate within West Africa. Since the 1990s, increased emigration of skilled Ghanaians, especially to the US and the UK, drained the country of its health care and education professionals. Internally, poverty and other developmental disparities continue to drive Ghanaians from the north to the south, particularly to its urban centers.
Dependency ratios [time series]
total dependency ratio: 73% | youth dependency ratio: 67.2% | elderly dependency ratio: 5.9% | potential support ratio: 17% (2015 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
urban: 92.6% of population | rural: 84% of population | total: 88.7% of population | urban: 7.4% of population | rural: 16% of population | total: 11.3% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
6% of GDP (2013) | country comparison to the world: 13
Ethnic groups [time series]
Akan 47.5%, Mole-Dagbon 16.6%, Ewe 13.9%, Ga-Dangme 7.4%, Gurma 5.7%, Guan 3.7%, Grusi 2.5%, Mande 1.1%, other 1.4% (2010 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate [time series]
1.61% (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 34
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
12,600 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 26
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
274,600 (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 23
Health expenditure (Health expenditures) [time series]
3.6% of GDP (2014) | country comparison to the world: 133
Hospital bed density [time series]
0.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 36.3 deaths/1,000 live births | male: 40.2 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 32.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 56
Languages [time series]
Asante 16%, Ewe 14%, Fante 11.6%, Boron (Brong) 4.9%, Dagomba 4.4%, Dangme 4.2%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.9%, Kokomba 3.5%, Akyem 3.2%, Ga 3.1%, other 31.2% | note: English is the official language (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 66.6 years | male: 64.1 years | female: 69.1 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 172
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 76.6% | male: 82% | female: 71.4% (2015 est.)
Major infectious diseases [time series]
degree of risk: very high | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever | vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever | water contact disease: schistosomiasis | respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis | animal contact disease: rabies (2016)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
Kumasi 2.599 million; ACCRA (capital) 2.277 million (2015)
Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]
319 deaths/100,000 live births (2015 est.) | country comparison to the world: 32
Median age [time series]
total: 21 years | male: 20.5 years | female: 21.5 years (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 184
Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]
22.6 | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29 (2014 est.)
Nationality [time series]
noun: Ghanaian(s) | adjective: Ghanaian
Net migration rate [time series]
-1.9 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 161
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
10.9% (2014) | country comparison to the world: 140
Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]
0.1 physicians/1,000 population (2010)
Population [time series]
26,908,262 | note: estimates for this country explicitly take into account the effects of excess mortality due to AIDS; this can result in lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality, higher death rates, lower population growth rates, and changes in the distribution of population by age and sex than would otherwise be expected (July 2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 49
Population growth rate [time series]
2.18% (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 40
Religions [time series]
Christian 71.2% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 28.3%, Protestant 18.4%, Catholic 13.1%, other 11.4%), Muslim 17.6%, traditional 5.2%, other 0.8%, none 5.2% (2010 est.)
Sanitation facility access [time series]
urban: 20.2% of population | rural: 8.6% of population | total: 14.9% of population | urban: 79.8% of population | rural: 91.4% of population | total: 85.1% of population (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 11 years | male: 12 years | female: 11 years (2014)
Sex ratio [time series]
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female | 0-14 years: 1.01 male(s)/female | 15-24 years: 0.99 male(s)/female | 25-54 years: 0.94 male(s)/female | 55-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female | 65 years and over: 0.86 male(s)/female | total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2016 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
4.03 children born/woman (2016 est.) | country comparison to the world: 37
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 11.2% | male: 10.2% | female: 12% (2010 est.)
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 54% of total population (2015) | rate of urbanization: 3.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international [time series]
disputed maritime border between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire
Illicit drugs [time series]
illicit producer of cannabis for the international drug trade; major transit hub for Southwest and Southeast Asian heroin and, to a lesser extent, South American cocaine destined for Europe and the US; widespread crime and money-laundering problem, but the lack of a well-developed financial infrastructure limits the country's utility as a money-laundering center; significant domestic cocaine and cannabis use
Refugees and internally displaced persons [time series]
refugees (country of origin): 11,419 (Cote d'Ivoire; flight from 2010 post-election fighting) (2016)
Trafficking in persons [time series]
current situation: Ghana is a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking; the trafficking of Ghanians, particularly children, internally is more common than the trafficking of foreign nationals; Ghanian children are subjected to forced labor in fishing, domestic service, street hawking, begging, portering, mining, quarrying, herding, and agriculture, with girls, and to a lesser extent boys, forced into prostitution; Ghanian women, sometimes lured with legitimate job offers, and girls are sex trafficked in West Africa, the Middle East, and Europe; Ghanian men fraudulently recruited for work in the Middle East are subjected to forced labor or prostitution, and a few Ghanian adults have been identified as victims of false labor in the US; women and girls from Vietnam, China, and neighboring West African countries are sex trafficked in Ghana; the country is also a transit point for sex trafficking from West Africa to Europe | tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Ghana does not fully comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking; however, it is making significant efforts to do so; Ghana continued to investigate and prosecute trafficking offenses but was unable to ramp up its anti-trafficking efforts in 2014 because the government failed to provide law enforcement or protection agencies with operating budgets; victim protection efforts decreased in 2014, with significantly fewer victims identified; most child victims were referred to NGO-run facilities, but care for adults was lacking because the government did not provide any support to the country’s Human Trafficking Fund for victim services or its two shelters; anti-trafficking prevention measures increased modestly, including reconvening of the Human Trafficking Management Board, public awareness campaigns on child labor and trafficking, and anti-trafficking TV and radio programs (2015)
Transportation
Airports [time series]
10 (2013) | country comparison to the world: 156
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 7 | over 3,047 m: 1 | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 | 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2013)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 3 | 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]
9G (2016)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 4 | by type: petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 3 | foreign-owned: 2 (Brazil 1, South Korea 1) (2010) | country comparison to the world: 133
National air transport system [time series]
number of registered air carriers: 4 | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8 | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 390,457 | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 844,630 mt-km (2015)
Pipelines [time series]
gas 394 km; oil 20 km; refined products 361 km (2013)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
major seaport(s): Takoradi, Tema
Railways [time series]
total: 947 km | narrow gauge: 947 km 1.067-m gauge (2014) | country comparison to the world: 90
Roadways [time series]
total: 109,515 km | paved: 13,787 km | unpaved: 95,728 km (2009) | country comparison to the world: 43
Waterways [time series]
1,293 km (168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta) (2011) | country comparison to the world: 56