2021 Edition

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.

Area

land

227,533 sq km

total

238,533 sq km

water

11,000 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly smaller than Oregon

Climate

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

Coastline

539 km

Elevation

highest point

Mount Afadjato 885 m

lowest point

Atlantic Ocean 0 m

mean elevation

190 m

Geographic coordinates

8 00 N, 2 00 W

Geography - note

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

Irrigated land

340 sq km (2012)

Land boundaries

border countries

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

total

2,420 km

Land use

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.)

Location

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

Major rivers (by length in km)

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

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

Map references

Africa

Maritime claims

contiguous zone

24 nm

continental shelf

200 nm

exclusive economic zone

200 nm

territorial sea

12 nm

Natural hazards

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

Natural resources

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

Population distribution

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

Terrain

mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area

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.)

Birth rate

29.08 births/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

12.6% (2017/18)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

27.2% (2017/18)

Current Health Expenditure

3.5% (2018)

Death rate

6.3 deaths/1,000 population (2021 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.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

5.3

potential support ratio

17.1 (2020 est.)

total dependency ratio

67.4

youth dependency ratio

62.2

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 80.6% of population

improved: total

total: 89.9% of population

improved: urban

urban: 97.4% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 19.4% of population

unimproved: total

total: 10.1% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 2.6% of population

Education expenditures

4% of GDP (2018)

Ethnic groups

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.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

1.7% (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

13,000 (2020 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

350,000 (2020 est.)

Hospital bed density

0.9 beds/1,000 population (2011)

Infant mortality rate

female

29.7 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.)

male

36.86 deaths/1,000 live births

total

33.33 deaths/1,000 live births

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

note: English is the official language

Life expectancy at birth

female

70.74 years (2021 est.)

male

67.33 years

total population

69.01 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

74.5% (2018)

male

83.5%

total population

79%

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major urban areas - population

3.390 million Kumasi, 2.557 million ACCRA (capital), 991,000 Sekondi Takoradi (2021)

Maternal mortality ratio

308 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Median age

female

21.9 years (2020 est.)

male

21 years

total

21.4 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

20.7 years (2014 est.)

note

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

Nationality

adjective

Ghanaian

noun

Ghanaian(s)

Net migration rate

-0.17 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.)

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

10.9% (2016)

Physicians density

0.14 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Population

32,372,889 (July 2021 est.)

note

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

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

2.26% (2021 est.)

Religions

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.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 49.5% of population

improved: total

total: 68.7% of population

improved: urban

urban: 84.2% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 50.5% of population

unimproved: total

total: 31.3% of population (2017 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 15.8% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

12 years (2020)

male

12 years

total

12 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.03 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

3.71 children born/woman (2021 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

8.7% (2017 est.)

male

9.4%

total

9.1%

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

58% of total population (2021)

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

Capital

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

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

Constitution

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

Country name

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

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Stephanie S. SULLIVAN (since 23 January 2019)

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

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

Executive branch

cabinet

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

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

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%

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 2020 (next to be held in December 2024)

head of government

President Nana Addo Dankwa AKUFO-ADDO (since 7 January 2017); Vice President Mahamudu BAWUMIA (since 7 January 2017)

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

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

Government type

presidential republic

Independence

6 March 1957 (from the UK)

International law organization participation

has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

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

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

Legal system

mixed system of English common law and customary law

Legislative branch

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 - NA; seats by party (preliminary) - NPP 137, NDC 137, independent 1; composition - NA

elections

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

National anthem

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

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 March (1957)

National symbol(s)

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

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

note: Ghana has more than 20 registered parties; included are those which participated in the 2020 general election

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

cassava, yams, plantains, maize, oil palm fruit, taro, rice, cocoa, oranges, pineapples

Budget

expenditures

12.36 billion (2017 est.)

revenues

9.544 billion (2017 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

-6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

B (2013)

Moody's rating

B3 (2015)

Standard & Poors rating

B- (2020)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2016

-$2.86 billion (2016 est.)

Current account balance 2017

-$2.131 billion (2017 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$17.885 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$20.467 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

Ghana has a market-based economy with relatively few policy barriers to trade and investment in comparison with other countries in the region, and Ghana is endowed with natural resources. Ghana's economy was strengthened by a quarter century of relatively sound management, a competitive business environment, and sustained reductions in poverty levels, but in recent years has suffered the consequences of loose fiscal policy, high budget and current account deficits, and a depreciating currency.Agriculture accounts for about 20% of GDP and employs more than half of the workforce, mainly small landholders. Gold, oil, and cocoa exports, and individual remittances, are major sources of foreign exchange. Expansion of Ghana’s nascent oil industry has boosted economic growth, but the fall in oil prices since 2015 reduced by half Ghana’s oil revenue. Production at Jubilee, Ghana's first commercial offshore oilfield, began in mid-December 2010. Production from two more fields, TEN and Sankofa, started in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The country’s first gas processing plant at Atuabo is also producing natural gas from the Jubilee field, providing power to several of Ghana’s thermal power plants.As of 2018, key economic concerns facing the government include the lack of affordable electricity, lack of a solid domestic revenue base, and the high debt burden. The AKUFO-ADDO administration has made some progress by committing to fiscal consolidation, but much work is still to be done. Ghana signed a $920 million extended credit facility with the IMF in April 2015 to help it address its growing economic crisis. The IMF fiscal targets require Ghana to reduce the deficit by cutting subsidies, decreasing the bloated public sector wage bill, strengthening revenue administration, boosting tax revenues, and improving the health of Ghana’s banking sector. Priorities for the new administration include rescheduling some of Ghana’s $31 billion debt, stimulating economic growth, reducing inflation, and stabilizing the currency. Prospects for new oil and gas production and follow through on tighter fiscal management are likely to help Ghana’s economy in 2018.

Exchange rates

currency

cedis (GHC) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2013

2.895 (2013 est.)

Exchange rates 2014

3.712 (2014 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

4.9 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

5.68 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

5.86 (2020 est.)

Exports

Exports 2018

$22.51 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Exports 2019

$25.59 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Exports - commodities

gold, crude petroleum, cocoa products, manganese, cashews (2019)

Exports - partners

Switzerland 23%, India 17%, China 12%, United Arab Emirates 8%, South Africa 8% (2019)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

43% (2017 est.)

government consumption

8.6% (2017 est.)

household consumption

80.1% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-46.5% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

13.7% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

1.1% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

18.3% (2017 est.)

industry

24.5% (2017 est.)

services

57.2% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$65.363 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2016

43.5 (2016 est.)

note

42.3 (2012-13) 41.9 (2005-06)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

32.8% (2006)

lowest 10%

2%

Imports

Imports 2018

$23.22 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2018 est.)

Imports 2019

$26.91 billion note: data are in current year dollars (2019 est.)

Imports - commodities

metal tubing, ships, cars, refined petroleum, rice (2019)

Imports - partners

China 24%, Nigeria 22%, United States 5% (2019)

Industrial production growth rate

16.7% (2017 est.)

Industries

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2017

12.3% (2017 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2018

9.8% (2018 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

8.4% (2019 est.)

Labor force

12.49 million (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture

44.7%

industry

14.4%

services

40.9% (2013 est.)

Population below poverty line

23.4% (2016 est.)

Public debt

Public debt 2016

73.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

71.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2018

$154.13 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2019

$164.16 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$164.84 billion note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2015

3.8% (2015 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2016

3.7% (2016 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2017

8.4% (2017 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2018

$5,200 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2018 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2019

$5,400 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2019 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2020

$5,300 note: data are in 2017 dollars (2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2016

$6.162 billion (31 December 2016 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2017

$7.555 billion (31 December 2017 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

20.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2013

5.2% (2013 est.)

Unemployment rate 2015

11.9% (2015 est.)

Unemployment, youth ages 15-24

female

8.7% (2017 est.)

male

9.4%

total

9.1%

Crude oil - exports

104,000 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Crude oil - imports

6,220 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Crude oil - production

173,000 bbl/day (2018 est.)

Crude oil - proved reserves

660 million bbl (1 January 2018 est.)

Electricity - consumption

9.363 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - exports

187 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - from fossil fuels

58% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)

Electricity - from hydroelectric plants

42% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from nuclear fuels

0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - from other renewable sources

1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)

Electricity - imports

511 million kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity - installed generating capacity

3.801 million kW (2016 est.)

Electricity - production

12.52 billion kWh (2016 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - rural areas

75% (2019)

electrification - total population

85% (2019)

electrification - urban areas

93% (2019)

Natural gas - consumption

1.232 billion cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - exports

0 cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - imports

317.4 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - production

914.4 million cu m (2017 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

22.65 billion cu m (1 January 2018 est.)

Refined petroleum products - consumption

90,000 bbl/day (2016 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

2,654 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

85,110 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

2,073 bbl/day (2015 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2020 est.)

total

78,371 (2020)

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

Internet users

percent of population

53% (2019 est.)

total

15.7 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line about 1 per 100 subscriptions; competition among multiple mobile-cellular providers has spurred growth with a subscribership of more than 130 per 100 persons  (2020)

general assessment

challenged by unreliable electricity, Ghana seeks to extend telecom services nationally; investment in fiber infrastructure enabled 600 additional towers to provide basic mobile services; launch of LTE has improved mobile data services, including m-commerce and banking; highly competitive Internet market, most through mobile networks; international submarine cables, and terrestrial cables have improved Internet capacity and reduced prices (2020)

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; Ghana-1 satellite launched in 2020 (2019)

note

note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

less than 1 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

307,668 (2020)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

130.2 (2020 est.)

total subscriptions

40,461,609 (2020)

Airports

total

10 (2013)

Airports - with paved runways

1,524 to 2,437 m

3

2,438 to 3,047 m

1

914 to 1,523 m

2 (2017)

over 3,047 m

1

total

7

Airports - with unpaved runways

914 to 1,523 m

3 (2013)

total

3

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

9G

Merchant marine

by type

general cargo 7, oil tanker 3, other 41 (2021)

total

51

National air transport system

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)

Pipelines

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

Ports and terminals

major seaport(s)

Takoradi, Tema

Railways

narrow gauge

947 km 1.067-m gauge (2014)

total

947 km (2014)

Roadways

paved

13,787 km (2009)

total

109,515 km (2009)

unpaved

95,728 km (2009)

Waterways

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

Maritime threats

the International Maritime Bureau reports the territorial and offshore waters in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea remain a very high risk for piracy and armed robbery of ships; in 2020, there were 98 reported incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea region; although a 24% decrease from the total number of incidents in 2019, it included all three hijackings and 9 of 11 ships fired upon worldwide; while boarding and attempted boarding to steal valuables from ships and crews are the most common types of incidents, almost a third of all incidents involve a hijacking and/or kidnapping; in 2020, a record 130 crew members were kidnapped in 22 separate incidents in the Gulf of Guinea, representing 95% of kidnappings worldwide; approximately 51% of all incidents of piracy and armed robbery are taking place off Nigeria, which is a decrease from the 71% in 2019 and an indication pirates are traveling further to target vessels; Nigerian pirates are well armed and very aggressive, operating as far as 200 nm offshore; the Maritime Administration of the US Department of Transportation has issued a Maritime Advisory (2021-002 - Gulf of Guinea-Piracy/Armed Robbery/Kidnapping for Ransom) effective 9 January 2021, which states in part, "Piracy, armed robbery, and kidnapping for ransom continue to serve as significant threats to US-flagged vessels transiting or operating in the Gulf of Guinea.”

Military - note

the military of Ghana 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 (WAFF), a multi-regiment force formed by the British colonial office in 1900 to garrison the West African colonies of Gold Coast (Ghana), Nigeria (Lagos and the protectorates of Northern and Southern Nigeria), Sierra Leone, and Gambia; the WAFF served with distinction in both East and West Africa during World War I; in 1928, it received royal recognition and was re-named the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF); the RWAFF went on to serve in World War II as part of the British 81st and 82nd (West African) divisions in the East Africa and Burma campaigns; following independence in 1957, the Gold Coast Regiment formed the basis for the new Ghanaian Army as of 2021, the primary missions for the Ghanaian military included assisting other security services with internal security and patrolling the country’s economic exclusion zone, which has led to efforts to expand the Navy’s capabilities in recent years; since sending a contingent of troops to the Congo in 1960, the Ghana military has been a regular contributor to African- and UN-sponsored peacekeeping missions

Military and security forces

Ghana Armed Forces: Army, Navy, Air Force (2021)

Military and security service personnel strengths

the Ghana Armed Forces consists of approximately 14,000 active personnel (10,000 Army; 2,000 Navy; 2,000 Air Force) (2020)

Military deployments

150 Mali (MINUSMA); 875 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 850 South Sudan (UNMISS) (Sep 2021)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the inventory of the Ghana Armed Forces is a mix of Russian, Chinese, and Western equipment; since 2010, it has received armaments from a variety of suppliers, led by China, Germany, Russia, and Spain (2020)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2016

0.3% of GDP (2016)

Military Expenditures 2017

0.3% of GDP (2017)

Military Expenditures 2018

0.4% of GDP (2018)

Military Expenditures 2019

0.4% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

0.4% of GDP (2020 est.)

Military service age and obligation

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

Disputes - international

disputed maritime border between Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire

Illicit drugs

a transit and destination point for illicit drugs trafficked from Asia and South America to other African nations and Europe, and to a lesser extent the United States; cultivation of cannabis for domestic use and is trafficked to regional markets or to Europe

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

6,425 (Cote d'Ivoire) (flight from 2010 post-election fighting) (2021)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

16.67 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

22.75 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

31.95 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.)

Climate

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

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

Environment - international agreements

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

Land use

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.)

Major infectious diseases

animal contact diseases

rabies

degree of risk

very high (2020)

food or waterborne diseases

bacterial and protozoal diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever

respiratory diseases

meningococcal meningitis

vectorborne diseases

malaria, dengue fever, and yellow fever

water contact diseases

schistosomiasis

Major rivers (by length in km)

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

Major watersheds (area sq km)

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

Revenue from coal

coal revenues

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

forest revenues

3.51% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

56.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

1.07 billion cubic meters (2017 est.)

industrial

95 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

municipal

299.6 million cubic meters (2017 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

58% of total population (2021)

Waste and recycling

municipal solid waste generated annually

3,538,275 tons (2005 est.)