Population growth in Ghana
From 1960 to 2021 the population of Ghana increased from 6.64 million to 32.83 million people. This is a growth of 394.8 percent in 61 years. The highest increase in Ghana was recorded in 2015 with 6.05 percent. The smallest increase in 1978 with 1.87 percent.In the same period, the total population of all countries worldwide increased by 160.2 percent.
The average age in Ghana rose by 0.95 years from 2012 to 2021 from 20.45 to 21.40 years (median value).
Around 58 percent of the inhabitants live in the country's larger cities. This growing trend of urbanization is increasing by 3.1 percent annually.
› Population growth in worldwide comparison
Back to overview: Ghana
Population development in Ghana since 1960
(Data in millions of inhabitants)| Year | Population Ghana | Change Ghana | Birth rate | Death rate | Population World | Change World | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 6.85 M | 3.21 % | 47.5 ‰ | 18.2 ‰ | 3,072 M | 1.30 % | |
| 1962 | 7.07 M | 3.27 % | 47.7 ‰ | 17.9 ‰ | 3,125 M | 1.72 % | |
| 1963 | 7.30 M | 3.23 % | 47.7 ‰ | 17.7 ‰ | 3,190 M | 2.08 % | |
| 1964 | 7.52 M | 3.07 % | 47.7 ‰ | 17.4 ‰ | 3,255 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1965 | 7.74 M | 2.86 % | 47.6 ‰ | 17.2 ‰ | 3,322 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1966 | 7.94 M | 2.61 % | 47.5 ‰ | 16.9 ‰ | 3,392 M | 2.11 % | |
| 1967 | 8.13 M | 2.41 % | 47.2 ‰ | 16.7 ‰ | 3,462 M | 2.05 % | |
| 1968 | 8.32 M | 2.32 % | 46.9 ‰ | 16.5 ‰ | 3,533 M | 2.06 % | |
| 1969 | 8.52 M | 2.38 % | 46.6 ‰ | 16.2 ‰ | 3,607 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1970 | 8.74 M | 2.53 % | 46.2 ‰ | 16.0 ‰ | 3,682 M | 2.09 % | |
| 1971 | 8.97 M | 2.72 % | 45.8 ‰ | 15.8 ‰ | 3,761 M | 2.13 % | |
| 1972 | 9.23 M | 2.86 % | 45.4 ‰ | 15.5 ‰ | 3,837 M | 2.03 % | |
| 1973 | 9.49 M | 2.86 % | 45.0 ‰ | 15.3 ‰ | 3,913 M | 1.98 % | |
| 1974 | 9.75 M | 2.69 % | 44.5 ‰ | 15.0 ‰ | 3,988 M | 1.93 % | |
| 1975 | 9.99 M | 2.43 % | 44.1 ‰ | 14.8 ‰ | 4,063 M | 1.86 % | |
| 1976 | 10.20 M | 2.14 % | 43.8 ‰ | 14.5 ‰ | 4,135 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1977 | 10.40 M | 1.92 % | 43.5 ‰ | 14.3 ‰ | 4,208 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1978 | 10.59 M | 1.87 % | 43.2 ‰ | 14.1 ‰ | 4,281 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1979 | 10.81 M | 2.03 % | 43.0 ‰ | 13.9 ‰ | 4,357 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1980 | 11.06 M | 2.32 % | 42.8 ‰ | 13.7 ‰ | 4,433 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1981 | 11.35 M | 2.64 % | 42.6 ‰ | 13.5 ‰ | 4,511 M | 1.76 % | |
| 1982 | 11.68 M | 2.90 % | 42.5 ‰ | 13.3 ‰ | 4,592 M | 1.80 % | |
| 1983 | 12.03 M | 3.06 % | 42.3 ‰ | 13.1 ‰ | 4,674 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1984 | 12.41 M | 3.09 % | 42.2 ‰ | 12.8 ‰ | 4,756 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1985 | 12.78 M | 3.05 % | 42.0 ‰ | 12.5 ‰ | 4,839 M | 1.75 % | |
| 1986 | 13.16 M | 2.98 % | 41.7 ‰ | 12.2 ‰ | 4,925 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1987 | 13.55 M | 2.94 % | 41.4 ‰ | 11.9 ‰ | 5,013 M | 1.78 % | |
| 1988 | 13.95 M | 2.91 % | 41.0 ‰ | 11.6 ‰ | 5,101 M | 1.77 % | |
| 1989 | 14.35 M | 2.91 % | 40.5 ‰ | 11.2 ‰ | 5,190 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1990 | 14.77 M | 2.93 % | 40.0 ‰ | 10.9 ‰ | 5,280 M | 1.74 % | |
| 1991 | 15.21 M | 2.94 % | 39.5 ‰ | 10.7 ‰ | 5,368 M | 1.67 % | |
| 1992 | 15.65 M | 2.93 % | 39.1 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 5,453 M | 1.57 % | |
| 1993 | 16.11 M | 2.90 % | 38.6 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 5,538 M | 1.56 % | |
| 1994 | 16.56 M | 2.82 % | 38.2 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 5,622 M | 1.52 % | |
| 1995 | 17.01 M | 2.73 % | 37.8 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 5,707 M | 1.51 % | |
| 1996 | 17.46 M | 2.64 % | 37.4 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 5,790 M | 1.45 % | |
| 1997 | 17.91 M | 2.56 % | 37.0 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 5,872 M | 1.43 % | |
| 1998 | 18.36 M | 2.50 % | 36.6 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 5,954 M | 1.39 % | |
| 1999 | 18.81 M | 2.48 % | 36.1 ‰ | 10.5 ‰ | 6,034 M | 1.35 % | |
| 2000 | 19.28 M | 2.48 % | 35.7 ‰ | 10.4 ‰ | 6,114 M | 1.32 % | |
| 2001 | 19.76 M | 2.48 % | 35.2 ‰ | 10.3 ‰ | 6,194 M | 1.30 % | |
| 2002 | 20.25 M | 2.48 % | 34.8 ‰ | 10.1 ‰ | 6,273 M | 1.28 % | |
| 2003 | 20.75 M | 2.49 % | 34.4 ‰ | 9.9 ‰ | 6,352 M | 1.26 % | |
| 2004 | 21.27 M | 2.52 % | 34.0 ‰ | 9.7 ‰ | 6,432 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2005 | 21.81 M | 2.55 % | 33.6 ‰ | 9.4 ‰ | 6,512 M | 1.25 % | |
| 2006 | 22.38 M | 2.59 % | 33.3 ‰ | 9.2 ‰ | 6,593 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2007 | 22.96 M | 2.61 % | 33.1 ‰ | 8.9 ‰ | 6,674 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2008 | 23.56 M | 2.61 % | 32.8 ‰ | 8.7 ‰ | 6,757 M | 1.24 % | |
| 2009 | 24.17 M | 2.58 % | 32.6 ‰ | 8.5 ‰ | 6,840 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2010 | 24.78 M | 2.52 % | 32.4 ‰ | 8.4 ‰ | 6,922 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2011 | 25.39 M | 2.45 % | 32.1 ‰ | 8.2 ‰ | 7,004 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2012 | 26.00 M | 2.40 % | 31.8 ‰ | 8.1 ‰ | 7,089 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2013 | 26.61 M | 2.35 % | 31.5 ‰ | 7.9 ‰ | 7,176 M | 1.22 % | |
| 2014 | 27.22 M | 2.32 % | 31.8 ‰ | 7.8 ‰ | 7,262 M | 1.20 % | |
| 2015 | 28.87 M | 6.05 % | 31.7 ‰ | 7.8 ‰ | 7,405 M | 1.97 % | |
| 2016 | 29.55 M | 2.37 % | 30.5 ‰ | 7.5 ‰ | 7,492 M | 1.18 % | |
| 2017 | 30.22 M | 2.26 % | 29.0 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 7,578 M | 1.15 % | |
| 2018 | 30.87 M | 2.15 % | 29.0 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 7,662 M | 1.10 % | |
| 2019 | 31.52 M | 2.11 % | 28.6 ‰ | 7.1 ‰ | 7,743 M | 1.06 % | |
| 2020 | 32.18 M | 2.09 % | 28.0 ‰ | 7.4 ‰ | 7,821 M | 1.01 % | |
| 2021 | 32.83 M | 2.03 % | 27.5 ‰ | 7.6 ‰ | 7,888 M | 0.86 % |
Birth and death rate in Ghana
Population growth is the result of the birth rate, the mortality rate and the migration rate. For example, the year 2021 in the graph: The population in Ghana increased by about 653,000 inhabitants. In the same year, the death rate was 7.6 per 1,000 people (~ 245,000 deaths) and the birth rate was 27.5 per 1,000 people (~ 887,000 births). As a result, around 11,000 inhabitants have to be added by migration from other countries.Over the past 10 years, the number of average deaths per year was 224,489 in Ghana. The number of births was 882,938 annually.
The changes in births and deaths is displayed in the following graph. All data refer to births or deaths per 1,000 inhabitants.
Birth rate Death rate
Comparison of the global population density
Quality of life 2023 in country comparison
Active volcanoes and eruptions in the United States