Ghana

Program Overview > Ghana

INTRODUCTION

Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togo land 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 took over as head of state in early 2009.

Note: Statistical information and copy in the Project Locations area of our website is drawn from the CIA World Factbook, 2010.

OTHER INFORMATION >Ghana

Major Infectious Diseases:

Degree of Risk: very high

Food or Waterborne Diseases: bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

Vectorborne Disease: malaria

Water Contact Diseases: 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)

Median age:

Total: 20.7 years (2009 est.)

Male: 20.5 years (2009 est.)

Female: 21 years (2009 est.)

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)

Population:

Total: 23,887,812
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.)

Population Growth Rate:

Growth Rate: 1.897% (2009 est.)

Birth Rate: 28.74 births/1,000 population (2009 est.)

Death Rate: 9.13 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.)

Net Migration Rate: -0.64 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 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.)

Life Expectancy at Birth: total population: 60.1 years
male: 58.92 years
female: 61.31 years (2009 est.)

Infant Mortality Rate: total: 51.18 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 54.74 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 47.51 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Total Fertility Rate: 3.68 children born/woman (2009 est.)

Ghana

AT A GLANCE
Ghana

Age Structure:

0-14 years: 37.3% (male 4,503,331/female 4,393,104) (2009 est.)

15-64 years: 59.1% (male 7,039,696/female 7,042,208) (2009 est.)

65 years and over: 3.6% (male 393,364/female 460,792) (2009 est.)

HIV/AIDS:

Adult Prevelence Rate: 1.9% (2007 est.)

People Living with HIV/AIDS: 260,000 (2007 est.)

Deaths: 21,000 (2007 est.)

Literacy:

Definition: age 15 and over can read and write

Population: total:57.9%
male: 66.4%
female:49.8% (2000 census)