Ghana

Ghana is a multiethnic country rich in natural resources and is one of the most stable and democratic countries in West Africa. Ghana has been inhabited for at least several thousand years, but little is known about its early inhabitants. By the 12th century, the gold trade started to boom in Bono (Bonoman) state in what is today southern Ghana, and it became the genesis of the Akan people's power and wealth in the region. Beginning in the 15th century, the Portuguese, followed by other European powers, arrived and competed for trading rights. Numerous kingdoms and empires emerged in the area, among the most powerful were the Kingdom of Dagbon in the north and the Asante (Ashanti) Empire in the south. By the mid-18th century, Asante was a highly organized state with immense wealth; it provided enslaved people for the Atlantic slave trade, and in return received firearms that facilitated its territorial expansion. The Asante resisted increasing British influence in the coastal areas, engaging in a series of wars during the 19th century before ultimately falling under British control. 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, with Kwame NKRUMAH as its first leader.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 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president, John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the 2012 presidential election. In 2016, Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO of the NPP defeated MAHAMA, marking the third time that Ghana’s presidency had changed parties since the return to democracy. AKUFO-ADDO was reelected in 2020. In recent years, Ghana has taken an active role in promoting regional stability and is highly integrated in international affairs.

land

227,533 sq km

total

238,533 sq km

water

11,000 sq km

slightly smaller than Oregon

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

539 km

highest point

Mount Afadjato 885 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

190 m

8 00 N, 2 00 W

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

360 sq km (2013)

border countries

Burkina Faso 602 km; Cote d'Ivoire 720 km; Togo 1098 km

total

2,420 km

agricultural land

69.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 20.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 36.5% (2018 est.)

forest

21.2% (2018 est.)

other

9.7% (2018 est.)

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

Volta river mouth (shared with Burkina Faso [s]) - 1,600 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Volta (410,991 sq km)

Africa

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

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

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

population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations being on or near the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

0-14 years

37.4% (male 6,527,386/female 6,400,245)

15-64 years

58.2% (male 9,690,498/female 10,444,197)

65 years and over

4.4% (2024 est.) (male 684,189/female 842,577)

beer

0.53 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.61 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

0.39 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

1.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

0.05 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

27.6 births/1,000 population (2024 est.)

men married by age 18

3.9% (2018 est.)

women married by age 15

5%

women married by age 18

19.3%

12.6% (2017/18)

27.2% (2017/18)

4% of GDP (2020)

54.3% (2023 est.)

5.9 deaths/1,000 population (2024 est.)

Ghana has a young age structure, with approximately 56% of the population under the age of 25 as of 2020. 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.

elderly dependency ratio

5.9

potential support ratio

17 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

68.7

youth dependency ratio

62.9

improved: rural

rural: 83.8% of population

improved: total

total: 92.4% of population

improved: urban

urban: 98.7% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 16.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 7.6% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 1.3% of population

3.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Akan 45.7%, Mole-Dagbani 18.5%, Ewe 12.8%, Ga-Dangme 7.1%, Gurma 6.4%, Guan 3.2%, Grusi 2.7%, Mande 2%, other 1.6% (2021 est.)

1.75 (2024 est.)

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)

female

27.8 deaths/1,000 live births

male

34.5 deaths/1,000 live births

total

31.2 deaths/1,000 live births (2024 est.)

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

note: English is the official language

female

71.8 years

male

68.4 years

total population

70.1 years (2024 est.)

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

74.5% (2018)

male

83.5%

total population

79%

3.768 million Kumasi, 2.660 million ACCRA (capital), 1.078 million Sekondi Takoradi (2023)

263 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

female

22.3 years

male

20.6 years

total

21.4 years (2024 est.)

22.1 years (2022 est.)

note

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

adjective

Ghanaian

noun

Ghanaian(s)

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2024 est.)

10.9% (2016)

0.17 physicians/1,000 population (2020)

female

17,687,019 (2024 est.)

male

16,902,073

total

34,589,092

population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations being on or near the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map

2.15% (2024 est.)

Christian 71.3% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 31.6%, Protestant 17.4%, Catholic 10%, other 12.3%), Muslim 19.9%, traditionalist 3.2%, other 4.5%, none 1.1% (2021 est.)

improved: rural

rural: 52.8% of population

improved: total

total: 71.1% of population

improved: urban

urban: 84.8% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 47.2% of population

unimproved: total

total: 28.9% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 15.2% of population

female

12 years (2020)

male

12 years

total

12 years

0-14 years

1.02 male(s)/female

15-64 years

0.93 male(s)/female

65 years and over

0.81 male(s)/female

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.96 male(s)/female (2024 est.)

female

0.3% (2020 est.)

male

6.6% (2020 est.)

total

3.5% (2020 est.)

3.56 children born/woman (2024 est.)

rate of urbanization

3.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.2% of total population (2023)

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

etymology

the name derives from the Akan word "nkran" meaning "ants," and refers to the numerous anthills in the area around the capital

geographic coordinates

5 33 N, 0 13 W

name

Accra

time difference

UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

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

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

history

several previous; latest drafted 31 March 1992, approved and promulgated 28 April 1992, entered into force 7 January 1993

conventional long form

Republic of Ghana

conventional short form

Ghana

etymology

named for the medieval West African kingdom of the same name but whose location was actually further north than the modern country

former

Gold Coast

chief of mission

Ambassador Virginia E. PALMER (since 16 June 2022)

email address and website

ACSAccra@state.govhttps://gh.usembassy.gov/

embassy

No. 24, Fourth Circular Road, Cantonments, Accra, P.O. Box 2288, Accra

mailing address

2020 Accra Place, Washington DC  20521-2020

telephone

[233] (0) 30-274-1000

chancery

3512 International Drive NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Alima MAHAMA (since 7 July 2021)

consulate(s) general

New York

email address and website

info@ghanaembassydc.orghttps://ghanaembassydc.org/

FAX

[1] (202) 686-4527

telephone

[1] (202) 686-4520

cabinet

Council of Ministers; nominated by the president, approved by Parliament

chief of state

President Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (since 7 January 2017)

election results

2024: John Dramani MAHAMA elected president in the first round; percent of vote- John Dramani MAHAMA (NDC) 56.5%, Mahamudu BAWUMIA (NPC) 41%, other 2.5% 2020: 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% (2020)

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 2024 (next to be held on 7 December 2028); the president is both chief of state and head of government

head of government

President Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (since 7 January 2017)

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

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

presidential republic

6 March 1957 (from the UK)

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

ACP, AfDB, ATMIS, 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, MONUSCO, NAM, OAS (observer), OIF, OPCW, UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNISFA, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UNOOSA, UNSOM, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

highest court(s)

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

mixed system of English common law and customary law

description

unicameral Parliament (275 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by simple majority vote to serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party - NPP 50.4%, NDC 46.2%, independent 2.3%, other 1.1%; seats by party- NPP 137, NDC 137, independent 1; composition- men 235, women 40, percentage women 14.6%

elections

last held on 7 December 2020 (next to be held in December 2024)

lyrics/music

unknown/Philip GBEHO

name

"God Bless Our Homeland Ghana"

note

note: music adopted 1957, lyrics adopted 1966; the lyrics were changed twice, in 1960 when a republic was declared and after a 1966 coup

selected World Heritage Site locales

Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions; Asante Traditional Buildings

total World Heritage Sites

2 (both cultural)

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

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

All Peoples Congress or APC Convention People's Party or CPP Ghana Freedom Party or GFP Ghana Union Movement or GUM Great Consolidated Popular Party or GCPP Liberal Party of Ghana or LPG National Democratic Congress or NDC National Democratic Party or NDP New Patriotic Party or NPP People's National Convention or PNC Progressive People's Party or PPP United Front Party or UFP United Progressive Party or UPP 

18 years of age; universal

cassava, yams, plantains, maize, oil palm fruit, taro, rice, cocoa beans, oranges, pineapples (2022)

note

note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage

on alcohol and tobacco

0.6% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

on food

38.3% of household expenditures (2022 est.)

expenditures

$16.842 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: central government revenues and expenses (excluding grants/extrabudgetary units/social security funds) converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated

revenues

$11.684 billion (2022 est.)

Fitch rating

B (2013)

Moody's rating

B3 (2015)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2020)

Current account balance 2020

-$2.134 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

-$2.541 billion (2021 est.)

Current account balance 2022

-$1.517 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - net trade and primary/secondary income in current dollars

West African lower-middle income economy; major gold, oil and cocoa exporter; macroeconomic challenges following nearly four decades of sustained growth; recent progress in debt restructuring, fiscal reforms, financial stability, and curbing runaway inflation under 2023-26 IMF credit facility program

Currency

cedis (GHC) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2019

5.217 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

5.596 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

5.806 (2021 est.)

Exchange rates 2022

8.272 (2022 est.)

Exchange rates 2023

11.02 (2023 est.)

Exports 2020

$22.077 billion (2020 est.)

Exports 2021

$23.901 billion (2021 est.)

Exports 2022

$25.744 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - exports of goods and services in current dollars

gold, crude petroleum, cocoa beans, coconuts/Brazil nuts/cashews, cocoa paste (2022)

note

note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars

UAE 24%, Switzerland 17%, US 14%, India 10%, China 10% (2022)

note

note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports

exports of goods and services

34% (2023 est.)

government consumption

5.9% (2023 est.)

household consumption

84.2% (2023 est.)

imports of goods and services

-35% (2023 est.)

investment in fixed capital

10.7% (2023 est.)

investment in inventories

0.2% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to rounding or gaps in data collection

agriculture

21.1% (2023 est.)

industry

29.5% (2023 est.)

note

note: figures may not total 100% due to non-allocated consumption not captured in sector-reported data

services

42.5% (2023 est.)

$76.37 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: data in current dollars at official exchange rate

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

43.5 (2016 est.)

note

note: index (0-100) of income distribution; higher values represent greater inequality

highest 10%

32.2% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%

1.6% (2016 est.)

note

note: % share of income accruing to lowest and highest 10% of population

Imports 2020

$24.545 billion (2020 est.)

Imports 2021

$25.967 billion (2021 est.)

Imports 2022

$26.329 billion (2022 est.)

note

note: balance of payments - imports of goods and services in current dollars

refined petroleum, plastic products, garments, coated flat-rolled iron, ships (2022)

note

note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars

China 41%, Netherlands 7%, India 5%, US 5%, Cote d'Ivoire 4% (2022)

note

note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports

-1.22% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change in industrial value added based on constant local currency

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

9.97% (2021 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2022

31.26% (2022 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2023

38.11% (2023 est.)

note

note: annual % change based on consumer prices

14.887 million (2023 est.)

note

note: number of people ages 15 or older who are employed or seeking work

23.4% (2016 est.)

note

note: % of population with income below national poverty line

Public debt 2017

71.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$214.867 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$223.07 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2023

$229.639 billion (2023 est.)

note

note: annual GDP % growth based on constant local currency

Real GDP growth rate 2021

5.08% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

3.82% (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2023

2.94% (2023 est.)

note

note: data in 2021 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2021

$6,500 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$6,700 (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2023

$6,700 (2023 est.)

note

note: personal transfers and compensation between resident and non-resident individuals/households/entities

Remittances 2021

5.24% of GDP (2021 est.)

Remittances 2022

6.24% of GDP (2022 est.)

Remittances 2023

6.41% of GDP (2023 est.)

note

note: holdings of gold (year-end prices)/foreign exchange/special drawing rights in current dollars

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2021

$9.917 billion (2021 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2022

$5.205 billion (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 2023

$3.624 billion (2023 est.)

12.3% (of GDP) (2022 est.)

note

note: central government tax revenue as a % of GDP

note

note: % of labor force seeking employment

Unemployment rate 2021

3.34% (2021 est.)

Unemployment rate 2022

3.08% (2022 est.)

Unemployment rate 2023

3.08% (2023 est.)

female

5.4% (2023 est.)

male

5.6% (2023 est.)

note

note: % of labor force ages 15-24 seeking employment

total

5.5% (2023 est.)

from coal and metallurgical coke

172,000 metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from consumed natural gas

7.675 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

15.035 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

total emissions

22.882 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2022 est.)

consumption

85,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

exports

9 metric tons (2022 est.)

imports

85,000 metric tons (2022 est.)

consumption

19.142 billion kWh (2022 est.)

exports

1.787 billion kWh (2022 est.)

imports

48.461 million kWh (2022 est.)

installed generating capacity

5.444 million kW (2022 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

1.619 billion kWh (2022 est.)

electrification - rural areas

71.6%

electrification - total population

85.1% (2022 est.)

electrification - urban areas

95%

biomass and waste

0.1% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

fossil fuels

66% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

hydroelectricity

33.3% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

solar

0.6% of total installed capacity (2022 est.)

Total energy consumption per capita 2022

11.416 million Btu/person (2022 est.)

consumption

3.912 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

imports

539.629 million cubic meters (2022 est.)

production

3.192 billion cubic meters (2022 est.)

proven reserves

22.653 billion cubic meters (2021 est.)

crude oil estimated reserves

660 million barrels (2021 est.)

refined petroleum consumption

110,000 bbl/day (2022 est.)

total petroleum production

174,000 bbl/day (2023 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

0.3 (2020 est.)

total

78,371 (2020 est.)

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

.gh

percent of population

68% (2021 est.)

total

22.44 million (2021 est.)

domestic

fixed-line data less than 1 per 100 subscriptions; mobile-cellular subscriptions 123 per 100 persons (2021)

general assessment

challenged by unreliable electricity and shortage of skilled labor, Ghana seeks to extend telecom services nationally; investment in fiber infrastructure and off-grid solutions provide data coverage to over 23 million people; launch of LTE has improved mobile data services, including m-commerce and banking; moderately competitive Internet market, most through mobile networks; international submarine cables, and terrestrial cables have improved Internet capacity; LTE services are widely available; the relatively high cost of 5G-compatible devices also inhibits most subscribers from migrating from 3G and LTE platforms (2022)

international

country code - 233; landing points 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; GhanaSat-1 nanosatellite launched in 2017 (2017)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

(2022 est.) less than 1

total subscriptions

330,000 (2022 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

120 (2022 est.)

total subscriptions

40.045 million (2022 est.)

11 (2024)

9G

7 (2024)

by type

general cargo 8, oil tanker 3, other 41

total

52 (2023)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

467,438 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

21

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

681.3 km gas, 11.4 km oil, 435 km refined products (2022)

key ports

Saltpond, Sekondi, Takoradi, Tema

medium

1

ports with oil terminals

3

small

1

total ports

4 (2024)

very small

2

narrow gauge

947 km (2022) 1.067-m gauge

total

947 km (2022)

paved

14,948 km

total

65,725 km

unpaved

50,777 km (2021)

urban

28,480 km 27% total paved 73% total unpaved

1,293 km (2011) (168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta)

the military’s primary missions are border defense, assisting with internal security, peacekeeping, and protecting the country’s territorial waters, particularly its offshore oil and gas infrastructure; it has benefited from cooperation with foreign partners, such as the UK and the US, and experience gained from participation in multiple international peacekeeping missions in 2022, Ghana began beefing up its military presence in the north of the country against threats from the terrorist organization Jama’at Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM), a coalition of al-Qa'ida linked militant groups, which has conducted attacks in the neighboring countries of Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, and Togo; Ghana’s northern frontier with Burkina Faso is also an area with well-established smuggling routes, porous borders, and illegal gold mining; Ghana has also made efforts to increase its naval capabilities to protect its maritime claims and counter threats such as piracythe military traces its origins to the Gold Coast Constabulary that was established in 1879 and renamed the Gold Coast Regiment in 1901; the Gold Coast Regiment was part of the West African Frontier Force, a multi-regiment unit formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison Britain's West African colonies, which went on to serve in both World Wars; following Ghana's independence in 1957, the Gold Coast Regiment formed the basis for the new Ghanaian Army (2024)

Ghana Armed Forces (GAF): Army, Navy, Air Force (2024)

note

note: the Ghana Police Service is under the Ministry of the Interior

approximately 16,000 active Armed Forces personnel (2024)

875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 725 (plus about 275 police) South Sudan (UNMISS); 670 Sudan (UNISFA) (2024)

note

note: since sending a contingent of troops to the Congo in 1960, the military has been a regular contributor to African- and UN-sponsored peacekeeping missions

the military's inventory is a mix of older and some newer Chinese, Russian, and Western equipment, including US, which has donated items such as patrol boats; the government in recent years has committed to an increase in funding for equipment acquisitions, including armor, mechanized, and special forces capabilities for the Army, light attack aircraft for the Air Force, and more modern coastal patrol vessels for the Navy (2024)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.4% of GDP (2019 est.)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military Expenditures 2021

0.5% of GDP (2021 est.)

Military Expenditures 2022

0.4% of GDP (2022 est.)

Military Expenditures 2023

0.4% of GDP (2023 est.)

18-27 years of age for voluntary military service, with basic education certificate; no conscription (2024)

note

note: as of 2024, women comprised approximately 15% of the military; Ghanaian women first began serving in the late 1950s

Ghana is a transit and destination point for illicit drugs trafficked from Asia and South America to other African countries, Europe, and to a lesser extent North America; not a significant source for drugs entering the United States; limited local consumption of controlled pharmaceuticals, cocaine, and heroin from Asia and South America; cannabis cultivated and produced in large quantities in most rural areas of Ghana    

Ghana Space Science and Technology Center (GSSTC; established 2011); note – the GSSTC is eventually slated to become the Ghana Space Agency (2024)

has a small, nascent space program focused on research in space sciences and exploiting remote sensing (RS) technology for natural resource management, weather forecasting, agriculture, and national security issues; relies on foreign imagery for analysis but seeks to develop its own RS satellite capabilities; one of Africa’s leaders in satellite dish research; trains aerospace scientists and engineers; has established relations on space-related issues with China, Japan, and South Africa; cooperating with Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria, Sudan, and Uganda to establish a joint satellite to monitor climate changes in the African continent; partner of the Square Kilometer Array (SKA) international astronomy initiative (2024)

note

note: further details about the key activities, programs, and milestones of the country’s space program, as well as government spending estimates on the space sector, appear in the Space Programs reference guide

carbon dioxide emissions

16.67 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

22.75 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

46.04 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

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

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

party to

Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling

signed, but not ratified

Marine Life Conservation

agricultural land

69.1% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 20.7% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 11.9% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 36.5% (2018 est.)

forest

21.2% (2018 est.)

other

9.7% (2018 est.)

Volta river mouth (shared with Burkina Faso [s]) - 1,600 kmnote – [s] after country name indicates river source; [m] after country name indicates river mouth

Atlantic Ocean drainage: Volta (410,991 sq km)

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

3.51% of GDP (2018 est.)

56.2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

agricultural

1.07 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

100 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

300 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

rate of urbanization

3.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

urban population

59.2% of total population (2023)

municipal solid waste generated annually

3,538,275 tons (2005 est.)