Ghana Demographics Profile 2009

Population

23,832,495
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 2009 est.)

Age structure

0-14 years: 37.3% (male 4,503,331/female 4,393,104)
15-64 years: 59.1% (male 7,039,696/female 7,042,208)
65 years and over: 3.6% (male 393,364/female 460,792) (2009 est.)

Median age

total: 20.7 years
male: 20.5 years
female: 21 years (2009 est.)

Population growth rate

1.882% (2009 est.)

Birth rate

28.58 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death rate

9.24 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

Net migration rate

-0.53 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Urbanization

urban population: 50% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 3.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.85 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Infant mortality rate

total: 51.09 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 55.32 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 46.74 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 59.85 years
male: 58.98 years
female: 60.75 years (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.68 children born/woman (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.9% (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

260,000 (2007 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

21,000 (2007 est.)

Major infectious diseases

degree of risk: very high
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
vectorborne diseases: malaria
water contact disease: schistosomiasis
respiratory disease: meningococcal meningitis
animal contact disease: rabies
note: highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza has been identified in this country; it poses a negligible risk with extremely rare cases possible among US citizens who have close contact with birds (2009)

Nationality

noun: Ghanaian(s)
adjective: Ghanaian

Ethnic groups

Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi 2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other 7.8% (2000 census)

Religions

Christian 68.8% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 24.1%, Protestant 18.6%, Catholic 15.1%, other 11%), Muslim 15.9%, traditional 8.5%, other 0.7%, none 6.1% (2000 census)

Languages

Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other 36.1% (includes English (official)) (2000 census)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 57.9%
male: 66.4%
female: 49.8% (2000 census)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 9 years
male: 10 years
female: 9 years (2007)

Education expenditures

5.4% of GDP (2005)