Communications
Broadband - fixed subscriptions [time series]
total: 56,810 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: less than 1 (2017 est.)
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
Internet country code [time series]
.gh
Internet users [time series]
total: 9,328,018 | percent of population: 34.7% (July 2016 est.)
Telecommunication systems (Telephone system) [time series]
general assessment: primarily microwave radio relay; wireless local loop has been installed; 2019 to bring universal access licenses; government invested in fiber infrastructure; one of the most active mobile markets in Africa (2018) | domestic: fixed-line 1 per 100 subscriptions; competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with a subscribership of more than 140 per 100 persons and rising (2018) | international: country code - 233; landing point for the SAT-3/WASC, MainOne, ACE, WACS and GLO-1 fiber-optic submarine cables that provide connectivity to South and West Africa, and Europe; satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); microwave radio relay link to Panaftel system connects Ghana to its neighbors (2019)
Telephones - fixed lines [time series]
total subscriptions: 301,551 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2017 est.)
Telephones - mobile cellular [time series]
total subscriptions: 36,751,761 | subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 134 (2017 est.)
Economy
Agricultural products (Agriculture - products) [time series]
cocoa, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber
Budget [time series]
revenues: 9.544 billion (2017 est.) | expenditures: 12.36 billion (2017 est.)
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) [time series]
-6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Central bank discount rate [time series]
20% (31 December 2017) | 25.5% (31 December 2016)
Commercial bank prime lending rate [time series]
30.35% (31 December 2017 est.) | 31.26% (31 December 2016 est.)
Current account balance [time series]
-$2.131 billion (2017 est.) | -$2.86 billion (2016 est.)
Debt - external [time series]
$22.14 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $16.5 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income (Distribution of family income - Gini index) [time series]
42.3 (2012-13) 41.9 (2005-06)
Economic overview (Economy - overview) [time series]
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 endowed with natural resources. 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. Agriculture accounts for about 20% of GDP and employs more than half of the workforce, mainly small landholders. Gold, oil, 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 fall in oil prices since 2015 reduced by half Ghana’s oil revenue. Production at Jubilee, Ghana's first commercial offshore oilfield, began in mid-December 2010. Production from two more fields, TEN and Sankofa, started in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The country’s first gas processing plant at Atuabo is also producing natural gas from the Jubilee field, providing power to several of Ghana’s thermal power plants. As of 2018, key economic concerns facing the government include the lack of affordable electricity, lack of a solid domestic revenue base, and the high debt burden. The AKUFO-ADDO administration has made some progress by committing to fiscal consolidation, but much work is still to be done. 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 require Ghana to reduce the deficit by cutting subsidies, decreasing the bloated public sector wage bill, strengthening revenue administration, boosting tax revenues, and improving the health of Ghana’s banking sector. Priorities for the new administration include rescheduling some of Ghana’s $31 billion debt, stimulating economic growth, reducing inflation, and stabilizing the currency. Prospects for new oil and gas production and follow through on tighter fiscal management are likely to help Ghana’s economy in 2018.
Exchange rates [time series]
cedis (GHC) per US dollar - | 4.385 (2017 est.) | 3.909 (2016 est.) | 3.909 (2015 est.) | 3.712 (2014 est.) | 2.895 (2013 est.)
Exports [time series]
$13.84 billion (2017 est.) | $11.14 billion (2016 est.)
Exports - commodities [time series]
oil, gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds, horticultural products
Exports - partners [time series]
India 23.8%, UAE 13.4%, China 10.8%, Switzerland 10.1%, Vietnam 5.2%, Burkina Faso 4% (2017)
Fiscal year [time series]
calendar year
GDP (official exchange rate) [time series]
$47.02 billion (2017 est.)
Real GDP (purchasing power parity) (GDP (purchasing power parity)) [time series]
$134 billion (2017 est.) | $123.6 billion (2016 est.) | $119.2 billion (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars
GDP - composition, by end use [time series]
household consumption: 80.1% (2017 est.) | government consumption: 8.6% (2017 est.) | investment in fixed capital: 13.7% (2017 est.) | investment in inventories: 1.1% (2017 est.) | exports of goods and services: 43% (2017 est.) | imports of goods and services: -46.5% (2017 est.)
GDP - composition, by sector of origin [time series]
agriculture: 18.3% (2017 est.) | industry: 24.5% (2017 est.) | services: 57.2% (2017 est.)
Real GDP per capita (GDP - per capita (PPP)) [time series]
$4,700 (2017 est.) | $4,500 (2016 est.) | $4,400 (2015 est.) | note: data are in 2017 dollars
Real GDP growth rate (GDP - real growth rate) [time series]
8.4% (2017 est.) | 3.7% (2016 est.) | 3.8% (2015 est.)
Gross national saving [time series]
9% of GDP (2017 est.) | 7.8% of GDP (2016 est.) | 9% of GDP (2015 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share [time series]
lowest 10%: 2% | highest 10%: 32.8% (2006)
Imports [time series]
$12.65 billion (2017 est.) | $12.91 billion (2016 est.)
Imports - commodities [time series]
capital equipment, refined petroleum, foodstuffs
Imports - partners [time series]
China 16.8%, US 8%, UK 6.2%, Belgium 5.9%, India 4.1% (2017)
Industrial production growth rate [time series]
16.7% (2017 est.)
Industries [time series]
mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building, petroleum
Inflation rate (consumer prices) [time series]
12.4% (2017 est.) | 17.5% (2016 est.)
Labor force [time series]
12.49 million (2017 est.)
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]
$13.41 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $13.48 billion (31 December 2016 est.) | $15.11 billion (31 December 2015 est.)
Population below poverty line [time series]
24.2% (2013 est.)
Public debt [time series]
71.8% of GDP (2017 est.) | 73.4% of GDP (2016 est.)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold [time series]
$7.555 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $6.162 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of broad money [time series]
$7.018 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $6.472 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad [time series]
$16.62 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | $109 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home [time series]
$19.85 billion (31 December 2013 est.) | $118 million (31 December 2012 est.)
Stock of domestic credit [time series]
$14.25 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $13.67 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Stock of narrow money [time series]
$7.018 billion (31 December 2017 est.) | $6.472 billion (31 December 2016 est.)
Taxes and other revenues [time series]
20.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Unemployment rate [time series]
11.9% (2015 est.) | 5.2% (2013 est.)
Energy
Carbon dioxide emissions (Carbon dioxide emissions from consumption of energy) [time series]
13.67 million Mt (2017 est.)
Crude oil - exports [time series]
104,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil - imports [time series]
6,220 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil - production [time series]
173,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Crude oil - proved reserves [time series]
660 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Electricity - consumption [time series]
9.363 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - exports [time series]
187 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - from fossil fuels [time series]
58% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants [time series]
42% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from nuclear fuels [time series]
0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - from other renewable sources [time series]
1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Electricity - imports [time series]
511 million kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity - installed generating capacity [time series]
3.801 million kW (2016 est.)
Electricity - production [time series]
12.52 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Electricity access [time series]
population without electricity: 5 million (2017) | electrification - total population: 79.3% (2016) | electrification - urban areas: 89.8% (2016) | electrification - rural areas: 66.6% (2016)
Natural gas - consumption [time series]
1.232 billion cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - exports [time series]
0 cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - imports [time series]
317.4 million cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - production [time series]
914.4 million cu m (2017 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves [time series]
22.65 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)
Refined petroleum products - consumption [time series]
90,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Refined petroleum products - exports [time series]
2,654 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - imports [time series]
85,110 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Refined petroleum products - production [time series]
2,073 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Geography
total: 238,533 sq km | land: 227,533 sq km | water: 11,000 sq km
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 | 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 threaten 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 1098 km
Land use [time series]
agricultural land: 69.1% (2011 est.) | arable land: 20.7% (2011 est.) / permanent crops: 11.9% (2011 est.) / permanent pasture: 36.5% (2011 est.) | forest: 21.2% (2011 est.) | 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 | exclusive economic zone: 200 nm | contiguous zone: 24 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
Population distribution [time series]
population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations being on or near the Atlantic coast
Terrain [time series]
mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area
Government
Administrative divisions [time series]
16 regions; Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, North East, Northern, Oti, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western, Western North
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) | etymology: the name derives from the Akan word "nkran" meaning "ants," and refers to the numerous anthills in the area around the capital
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]
history: several previous; latest drafted 31 March 1992, approved and promulgated 28 April 1992, entered into force 7 January 1993 | amendments: proposed by Parliament; consideration requires prior referral to the Council of State, a body of prominent citizens who advise the president of the republic; passage of amendments to "entrenched" constitutional articles (including those on national sovereignty, fundamental rights and freedoms, the structure and authorities of the branches of government, and amendment procedures) requires approval in a referendum by at least 40% participation of eligible voters and at least 75% of votes cast, followed by at least two-thirds majority vote in Parliament, and assent of the president; amendments to non-entrenched articles do not require referenda; amended 1996 (2017)
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 Stephanie S. SULLIVAN (since 30 November 2018) | telephone: [233] 030-274-1000 | embassy: 24 Fourth Circular Rd., Cantonments, Accra P.O. Box GP2288, Accra | mailing address: P.O. Box 194, Accra | FAX: [233] 030-274-1389
Diplomatic representation in the US [time series]
Ambassador Barfour ADJEI-BARWUAH (since 21 July 2017) | 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 Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (since 7 January 2017); Vice President Mahamudu BAWUMIA (since 7 January 2017); the president is both chief of state and head of government | head of government: President Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (since 7 January 2017); Vice President Mahamudu BAWUMIA (since 7 January 2017) | 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 7 December 2016 (next to be held in December 2020) | election results: Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO elected president in the first round; percent of vote - Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (NPP) 53.7%, John Dramani MAHAMA (NDC) 44.5%, other 1.8%
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 courts: Supreme Court (consists of the 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 December 2016 (next to be held in December 2020) | election results: percent of vote by party - NPP 54%, NDC 44%, other 2%; seats by party - NPP 171, NDC 104; composition - men 240, women 35, percent of women 12.7%
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]
note: Ghana has more than 20 registered parties; included are 5 of the more popular parties as of May 2017
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 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 of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS of the National Democratic Congress 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. In 2016, however, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO of the NPP defeated MAHAMA, marking the third time that the Ghana’s presidency has changed parties since the return to democracy.
Military and Security
Maritime threats [time series]
West African piracy more than doubled in 2018 to become the most dangerous area in the World; the waters off of Ghana saw a dramatic increase with 10 attacks reported in 2018 compared with only one in 2017; eight ships were boarded, one hijacked, and 47 crew taken hostage or kidnapped
Military and security forces [time series]
Ghana Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2019)
Military expenditures [time series]
0.41% of GDP (2018) | 0.4% of GDP (2017) | 0.38% of GDP (2016) | 0.52% of GDP (2015) | 0.68% of GDP (2014)
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: 37.83% (male 5,344,146 /female 5,286,383) | 15-24 years: 18.61% (male 2,600,390 /female 2,629,660) | 25-54 years: 34.21% (male 4,663,234 /female 4,950,888) | 55-64 years: 5.05% (male 690,327 /female 727,957) | 65 years and over: 4.3% (male 557,155 /female 652,331) (2018 est.) | population pyramid: The World Factbook Field Image Modal × Africa :: Ghana Print Image Description This is the population pyramid for Ghana. A population pyramid illustrates the age and sex structure of a country's population and may provide insights about political and social stability, as well as economic development. The population is distributed along the horizontal axis, with males shown on the left and females on the right. The male and female populations are broken down into 5-year age groups represented as horizontal bars along the vertical axis, with the youngest age groups at the bottom and the oldest at the top. The shape of the population pyramid gradually evolves over time based on fertility, mortality, and international migration trends. For additional information, please see the entry for Population pyramid on the Definitions and Notes page under the References tab.
Birth rate [time series]
30.2 births/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Children under the age of 5 years underweight [time series]
11.2% (2014)
Contraceptive prevalence rate [time series]
30.8% (2017)
Current health expenditure (Current Health Expenditure) [time series]
4.4% (2016)
Death rate [time series]
6.8 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.)
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 (2015 est.) | youth dependency ratio: 67.1 (2015 est.) | elderly dependency ratio: 5.9 (2015 est.) | potential support ratio: 17.1 (2015 est.)
Drinking water source [time series]
improved: urban: 92.6% of population | rural: 84% of population | total: 88.7% of population | unimproved: urban: 7.4% of population | rural: 16% of population | total: 11.3% of population (2015 est.)
Education expenditure (Education expenditures) [time series]
3.6% of GDP (2017)
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]
1.7% (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths [time series]
14,000 (2018 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS [time series]
330,000 (2018 est.)
Hospital bed density [time series]
0.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)
Infant mortality rate [time series]
total: 34.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.) | male: 38 deaths/1,000 live births | female: 30.1 deaths/1,000 live births
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% (2010 est.) | note: English is the official language
Life expectancy at birth [time series]
total population: 67.4 years (2018 est.) | male: 64.9 years | female: 70 years
Literacy [time series]
definition: age 15 and over can read and write | total population: 76.6% | male: 82% | female: 71.4% (2015)
Major infectious diseases [time series]
degree of risk: very high (2016) | food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever (2016) | vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever (2016) | water contact diseases: schistosomiasis (2016) | animal contact diseases: rabies (2016) | respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis (2016)
Major urban areas - population [time series]
3.206 million Kumasi, 2.475 million ACCRA (capital), 900,000 Sekondi Takoradi (2019)
Maternal mortality ratio (Maternal mortality rate) [time series]
308 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)
Median age [time series]
total: 21.2 years (2018 est.) | male: 20.7 years | female: 21.7 years
Mother's mean age at first birth [time series]
22.3 years (2017 est.) | note: median age at first birth among women 25-29
Nationality [time series]
noun: Ghanaian(s) | adjective: Ghanaian
Net migration rate [time series]
-1.7 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2018 est.)
Obesity - adult prevalence rate [time series]
10.9% (2016)
Physician density (Physicians density) [time series]
0.18 physicians/1,000 population (2017)
Population [time series]
28,102,471 (July 2018 est.) | 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
Population distribution [time series]
population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations being on or near the Atlantic coast
Population growth rate [time series]
2.16% (2018 est.)
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]
improved: urban: 20.2% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 8.6% of population (2015 est.) | total: 14.9% of population (2015 est.) | unimproved: urban: 79.8% of population (2015 est.) | rural: 91.4% of population (2015 est.) | total: 85.1% of population (2015 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) [time series]
total: 12 years | male: 12 years | female: 11 years (2017)
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: 0.85 male(s)/female | total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2018 est.)
Total fertility rate [time series]
3.96 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24) (Unemployment, youth ages 15-24) [time series]
total: 15.2% | male: 15.8% | female: 14.6% (2015 est.)
Urbanization [time series]
urban population: 56.7% of total population (2019) | rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change (2015-20 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): 6,517 (Cote d'Ivoire) (flight from 2010 post-election fighting) (2019) | IDPs: 5,000 (land disputes between ethnic communities in the north in 2018) (2018)
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)
Airports - with paved runways [time series]
total: 7 (2017) | over 3,047 m: 1 (2017) | 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 (2017) | 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2017) | 914 to 1,523 m: 2 (2017)
Airports - with unpaved runways [time series]
total: 3 (2013) | 914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2013)
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix [time series]
9G (2016)
Merchant marine [time series]
total: 44 | by type: general cargo 6, oil tanker 2, other 36 (2018)
National air transport system [time series]
number of registered air carriers: 4 (2015) | inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 8 (2015) | annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 390,457 (2015) | annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 844,630 mt-km (2015)
Pipelines [time series]
394 km gas, 20 km oil, 361 km refined products (2013)
Ports (Ports and terminals) [time series]
major seaport(s): Takoradi, Tema
Railways [time series]
total: 947 km (2014) | narrow gauge: 947 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Roadways [time series]
total: 109,515 km (2009) | paved: 13,787 km (2009) | unpaved: 95,728 km (2009)
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)