Map of Ghana | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide1989199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092010201120122013201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242025 | More stats

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Background: 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. MILLS 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, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO of the NPP defeated MAHAMA, marking the third time that Ghana’s presidency has changed parties since the return to democracy.


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Location: Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

Geographic coordinates: 8 00 N, 2 00 W

Map reference: Africa

Area
Total: 238,533 km²
Land: 227,533 km²
Water: 11,000 km²
Rank: 82
Comparative: slightly smaller than Oregon

Land boundaries
Total: 2,420 km
Border countries: (3) Burkina Faso 602 km; , Cote dIvoire 720 km; , Togo 1098 km

Coastline: 539 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Contiguous zone: 24 nm
Continental shelf: 200 nm

Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north

Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

Elevation
Mean elevation: 190 m
Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
Highest point: Mount Afadjato 885 m

Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone

Land use
Agricultural land: 69.1% (2011 est.)
Forest: 21.2% (2011 est.)
Other: 9.7% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land: 340 km² (2012)

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards: dry, dusty, northeastern harmattan winds from January to March; droughts

Geography
Note: Lake Volta is the world's largest artificial lake (manmade reservoir) by surface area (8,482 km²; 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


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Population
Distribution rank: population distribution map: 29,340,248 (July 2020 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
Rank: 49
Growth rate: 2.15% (2020 est.)
Growth rate rank: 37
Below poverty line: 24.2% (2013 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Ghanaian(s)
Adjective: Ghanaian

Ethnic groups: 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.)

Languages: 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

Religions: 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.)

Demographic profile: 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.

Age structure
0-14 years: 37.44% (male 5,524,932/female 5,460,943)
15-24 years: 18.64% (male 2,717,481/female 2,752,601)
25-54 years: 34.27% (male 4,875,985/female 5,177,959)
55-64 years: 5.21% (male 743,757/female 784,517)
65 years and over: 4.44% (male 598,387/female 703,686) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios
Total dependency ratio: 67.4
Youth dependency ratio: 62.2
Elderly dependency ratio: 5.3
Potential support ratio: 17.1 (2020 est.)

Median age
Total: 21.4 years
Male: 21 years
Female: 21.9 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 184

Population growth rate: 2.15% (2020 est.)
Rank: 37

Birth rate: 29.6 births/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 34

Death rate: 6.6 deaths/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 137

Net migration rate: -1.6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2020 est.)
Rank: 155

Population distribution
Rank: population distribution map

Urbanization
Urban population: 57.3% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: 3.34% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 3.348 million Kumasi, 2.514 million ACCRA (capital), 946,000 Sekondi Takoradi (2020)

Environment
Current issues: 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 agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: Marine Life Conservation

Air pollutants

Sex ratio
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 (2020 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 22.3 years (2017 est.)
Note: median age at first birth among women 25-29

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate
Total: 32.1 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 35.9 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 28.2 deaths/1000 live births (2020 est.)
Rank: 48

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.2 years
Male: 65.6 years
Female: 70.8 years (2020 est.)
Rank: 176

Total fertility rate: 3.9 children born/woman (2020 est.)
Rank: 32

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 30.8% (2017)

Drinking water source
Urban: 2.6% of population
Rural: 19.4% of population
Total: 10.1% of population (2017 est.)

Current health expenditure: 3.3% (2017)

Physicians density: 0.14 physicians/1000 population (2017)

Hospital bed density: 0.9 beds/1000 population (2011)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 15.8% of population
Rural: 50.5% of population
Total: 31.3% of population (2017 est.)

Hiv/Aids
Adult prevalence rate: 1.7% (2019 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 28
People living with hivaids: 340,000 (2019 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 21
Deaths: 14,000 (2019 est.)
Deaths rank: 14

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: very high (2020)
Food or waterborne diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne diseases: malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever
Water contact diseases: schistosomiasis
Animal contact diseases: rabies
Respiratory diseases: meningococcal meningitis

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 10.9% (2016)
Rank: 136

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 12.6% (2017/18)
Rank: 50

Education expenditures: 4% of GDP (2018)
Rank: 96

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 76.6%
Male: 82%
Female: 71.4% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 12 years
Male: 12 years
Female: 12 years (2019)

Youth unemployment


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Country name
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

Government type: presidential republic

Capital
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

Administrative divisions: 16 regions; Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, North East, Northern, Oti, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western, Western North

Dependent areas

Independence: 6 March 1957 (from the UK)

National holiday: Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

Constitution
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

Legal system: mixed system of English common law and customary law

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
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
Electionsappointments: 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 2020 (next to be held in December 2024)
Election results: Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO reelected president in the first round; percent of vote - Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (NPP) 51.3%, John Dramani MAHAMA (NDC) 47.4%, other 1.3%

Legislative branch
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 2020 (next to be held in December 2024)
Election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party (preliminary) - NPC 137, NDC 136, other 1, independent 1; composition - NA

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the chief justice and 13 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

Political parties and leaders: All Peoples Congress or APC [Hassan AYARIGA]Convention People's Party or CPP [Edmund N. DELLE]Ghana Freedom Party or GFP [Akua DONKOR]Ghana Union Movement or GUM [Christian Kwabena ANDREWS]Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP [Henry Herbert LARTEY]Liberal Party of Ghana or LPG [Kofi AKPALOO]National Democratic Congress or NDC [John Dramani MAHAMA]National Democratic Party or NDP [Nana Konadu Agyeman RAWLINGS]New Patriotic Party or NPP [Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO]People's Action Party or PAP [Imoru AYARNA]People's National Convention or PNC [Edward MAHAMA]Progressive People's Party or PPP [Paa Kwesi NDUOM]United Front Party or UFP [Dr. Nana A. BOATENG]United Progressive Party or UPP [Akwasi Addai ODIKE]
Note: Ghana has more than 20 registered parties; included are those which participated in the 2020 general election

International organization participation: 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

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Barfour ADJEI-BARWUAH (since 21 July 2017)
In the us chancery: 3,512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 686-4,520
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 686-4,527
In the us consulate: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Stephanie S. SULLIVAN (since 30 November 2018)
From the us telephone: [233] 030-274-1000
From the us embassy: 24 Fourth Circular Rd., Cantonments, Accra
From the us mailing address: P.O. Box 194, Accra
From the us FAX: [233] 030-274-1389

Flag description: 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

National symbols: black star, golden eagle; national colors: red, yellow, green, black

National anthem
Name: God Bless Our Homeland Ghana
Lyricsmusic: 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 heritage


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Economy overview

Real gdp purchasing power parity
Real:
Real note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 6

Real gdp per capita:
Note: data are in 2017 dollars
Rank: 159

Gross national saving:
Rank: 167

Gdp composition by end use
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
Agriculture: 18.3% (2017 est.)
Industry: 24.5% (2017 est.)
Services: 57.2% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: cocoa, rice, cassava (manioc, tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber

Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building, petroleum

Industrial production growth rate: 16.7% (2017 est.)
Rank: 2

Labor force: 12.49 million (2017 est.)
Rank: 45
By occupation agriculture: 44.7%
By occupation industry: 14.4%
By occupation services: 40.9% (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 163

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line: 24.2% (2013 est.)

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2%
Highest 10: 32.8% (2006)

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget
Revenues: 9.544 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 12.36 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 183

Taxes and other revenues: 20.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 149

Public debt:
Rank: 46

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 202

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance:
Rank: 169

Exports:
Rank: 86
Partners: India 23.8%, UAE 13.4%, China 10.8%, Switzerland 10.1%, Vietnam 5.2%, Burkina Faso 4% (2017)
Commodities: oil, gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds, horticultural products

Imports:
Rank: 98
Commodities: capital equipment, refined petroleum, foodstuffs
Partners: China 16.8%, US 8%, UK 6.2%, Belgium 5.9%, India 4.1% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 81

Debt external:
Rank: 90

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates:


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Electricity
Access population without electricity: 5 million (2019)
Access electrification total population: 85% (2019)
Access electrification urban areas: 93% (2019)
Access electrification rural areas: 75% (2019)
Production: 12.52 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 94
Consumption: 9.363 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 99
Exports: 187 million kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 76
Imports: 511 million kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 79
Installed generating capacity: 3.801 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 92
Generation sources fossil fuels: 58% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 134
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 96
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 42% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 48
Generation sources other renewable sources: 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 153

Coal

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 173,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 37
Crude oil exports: 104,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 34
Crude oil imports: 6,220 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 74
Crude oil proven reserves: 660 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 41

Crude oil

Refined petroleum
Products production: 2,073 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products production rank: 104
Products consumption: 90,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)
Products consumption rank: 83
Products exports: 2,654 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products exports rank: 100
Products imports: 85,110 bbl/day (2015 est.)
Products imports rank: 59

Natural gas
Production: 914.4 million m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 68
Consumption: 1.232 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 87
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 110
Imports: 317.4 million m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 68
Proven reserves: 22.65 billion m³ (1 January 2018 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 73

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 13.67 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 96

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 272,801 (2019 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 112
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 38,571,189
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 134.32 (2019 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 40

Telephone system

Broadcast media: 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: .gh
Users total: 10,959,964
Users percent of population: 39% (July 2018 est.)
Users rank: 49

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 62,320 (2018 est.)
Rank: 130


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Military expenditures:
Rank: 151

Military and security forces: Ghana Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 18-26 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription (2019)

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system
Number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020)
Inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 21
Annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 467,438 (2018)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: 9G (2016)

Airports: 10 (2013)
Rank: 154
With paved runways total: 7 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 3 (2013)
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2013)

Heliports

Pipelines: 394 km gas, 20 km oil, 361 km refined products (2013)

Railways
Total: 947 km (2014)
Narrow gauge: 947 km
Note: 1.067-m gauge (2014)
Rank: 92

Roadways
Total: 109,515 km (2009)
Paved: 13,787 km (2009)
Unpaved: 95,728 km (2009)
Rank: 45

Waterways: 1293 km
Note: (168 km for launches and lighters on Volta Ankobra and Tano Rivers; 1125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta) (2011)
Rank: 56

Merchant marine
Total: 48
By type: general cargo 6, oil tanker 3, other 39 (2019)
Rank: 118

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Takoradi, Tema


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Disputes international: disputed maritime border between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 6,406 (Cote dIvoire) (flight from 2010 post-election fighting) (2020)

Illicit drugs: 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