Ghana’s population is now 30.8 million, provisional figures from the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) conducted by the Ghana Statistical Service, have projected.

The figures announced by Professor Samuel K. Annim, the Government Statistician, who announced the figures on Wednesday in Accra, said the figures showed an increase of 6.1 million people from the 2010 population figures which stood at 24.6 million.

Professor Annim stated that the population change was driven by three processes-fertility, mortality and migration. At this rate, and that the country‘s population would double within 33 years and by 2050, the population of Ghana would be over 50 million.

He said the provisional results can be used as official data and that the variation between the provisional and final results was expected but difference was expected to be minimal.

The population figures are made up of 15,610,149 females, representing 50.7 per cent and 15,182,459 males, representing 49.3 per cent, giving a national sex ratio of 97 males for every 100 females.

In all, 8,345,414 households were enumerated, with an average national household size of 3.6 persons. The national population density in the 2021 PHC is 129 persons per square kilometre.

Touching on the regional population, Prof. Annim said the Greater Accra Region had the highest population of 5,446,237, followed by Ashanti region with 5,432,485, and that these regions were both almost twice (1.9) times the size of the third most populous region, Eastern Region.

The Ahafo Region is the least populous region with a population of 564,536, taking the place of the Upper West which had been the least populous in all the previous post-independence censuses, while the Savannah and North East Regions were the second and third least populous regions respectively.

From the provisional figures, 10,661,421 structures were counted during the listing, out of which 8,547,391, representing 80.2 per cent were fully completed, which include roofed with windows and doors fixed.

Greater Accra Region recorded the highest number of both residential and non-residential structures with 19.3 per cent of all the total structures listed.

The number of structures in Greater Accra is greater than the number of structures in six regions-North East, Savannah, Ahafo, Upper West, Oti, Upper East combined, while the three regions -Greater Accra, Ashanti, and Eastern combined have 47.3 per cent of all structures listed.

The Government Statistician said the regional sex ratios in the 2021 Census range from 91 males for every 100 females in the Volta Region to 105 males to every 100 females in the Western North Region.

These rates, he explained were consistent with the findings from the 2010 Census where the then Volta region had the lowest sex ratio of 89 with the then Western Region recording the highest of 104.

Touching on households, the Professor said the total number of households had grown by 2.8 million, representing a 52 per cent increase over the 5,467,136 households enumerated in 2010.

He said the household size declined by 0.8, from 4.4 in the 2010 census and a similar decline of 0.9 was observed between the 2010 and 2000 censuses.

The 2021 Census was the country’s first fully digital exercise, which employed technology in all aspects of its implementation. It leveraged technology available to improve operational efficiency, enhance the quality of the data collected and be able to release results in a timely manner.

The 2021 PHC counted and collected detailed information on all persons that spent the Census Night, that is Sunday 27th June 2021, in the country .

The initial enumeration period was from June 27 to July 11, 2021 with a mop-up period, first for one week and subsequently extending it to August 15 in some areas with challenges.

Prior to the Census Night, the listing of structures took place between 13th and 25th June, 2021. Structures listed were completed buildings, uncompleted buildings at various levels of completion above window level and unconventional structures (such as metal containers, and kiosks).

The Census will provide important information to support evidence-based implementation of the national development agenda and support the tracking of achievements of the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 of the African Union.