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Demographics of Ghana

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Demographics of Ghana
Population pyramid of Ghana 1950-2026
Population33,107,275 (2022 est.)
Growth rate2.23% (2022 est.)
Birth rate28.55 births/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Death rate6.14 deaths/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Life expectancy69.37 years
 • male67.7 years
 • female71.09 years
Fertility rate3.66 children born/woman (2022 est.)
Infant mortality32.59 deaths/1,000 live births
Net migration rate-0.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2022 est.)
Immigrant share1.5% (2024)[1]
Age structure
0–14 years37.44%
65 and over4.44%
Sex ratio
Total0.95 male(s)/female (2022 est.)
At birth1.03 male(s)/female
Under 151.02 male(s)/female
65 and over0.72 male(s)/female
Nationality
NationalityGhanaian
Major ethnicAkan (45.7%)
Language
OfficialEnglish

Demographic features of the population of Ghana include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, religious affiliations, and other aspects.

Ghana's population is 30,832,019 (2021 census).[2]

Population

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Ghana's Population in Census Years
Year[3] Total recorded population
Pre-independence
1891 764,613
1901 1,549,661
1911 1,503,911
1921 2,296,400
1931 3,160,386
1948 4,118,459
Post-independence
1960 6,726,815
1970 8,559,313
1984 12,296,081
2000 18,912,079
2010 24,658,823
2021 30,832,019

Population distribution

[edit]
Population density in Western Africa

Population density increased steadily from 36 per square kilometer in 1970 to 52 per square kilometer in 1984. In 1990 63 persons per square kilometer was the estimate for Ghana's overall population density. These averages did not reflect variations in population distribution. For example, while the Northern Region, one of ten administrative regions, showed a density of 17 persons per square kilometer in 1984, in the same year Greater Accra Region recorded nine times the national average of 52 per square kilometers.[4]

As was the case in the 1960 and 1970 figures, the greatest concentration of population in 1984 was to the south of the Kwahu Plateau. The highest concentration of habitation continued to be within the Accra-Kumasi-Takoradi triangle, largely because of the economic productivity of the region. All of Ghana's mining centres, timber-producing deciduous forests, and cocoa-growing lands lie to the south of the Kwahu Plateau. The Accra-Kumasi-Takoradi triangle is linked to the coast by rail and road systems—making this area a magnet for investsment and labor.[4]

A part of the Volta Basin is more sparsely populated. The far north is more heavily populated. The population density of the Upper East Region is above the national average. This may be explained in part by the better soil found in some areas.[4]

Urban–rural disparities

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Localities of 5,000 persons and above have been classified as urban since 1960. The 1960 urban population totalled 1,551,174 persons, or 23.1% of total population. By 1970, the urban percentage had increased to 28%. That percentage rose to 32% in 1984 and was estimated at 33% for 1992.[5]

Urban areas in Ghana have customarily been supplied with more amenities than rural locations. Consequently, Kumasi, Accra, and other settlements within the southern economic belt attracted more people than the savanna regions of the north; only Tamale in the north has been an exception. The linkage of the national electricity grid to the northern areas of the country in the 1980s may help to stabilize the north-to-south flow of internal migration.[5]

Ghana has continued to be a nation of rural communities. Rural residency was estimated to be 67% of the population in 1992. In the 1970s, 72% of Ghana's population lived in rural areas.[5] The "Rural Manifesto," which assessed the causes of rural underdevelopment, was introduced in April 1984. Development strategies were evaluated, and some were implemented to make rural residency more attractive. The Bank of Ghana established more than 120 rural banks to support rural entrepreneurs, and the rural electrification program was intensified in the 1980s. The government presented its plans for district assemblies as a component of its strategy for rural improvement through decentralized administration.[5]

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Historical population of Ghana

Ghana's first post independence population census in 1961 counted about 6.7 million inhabitants.[6] Between 1965 and 1989, a constant 45% of Ghana total female population was of childbearing age.[6]

Age structure

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Population by Sex and Age Group (Census 26.IX.2010):[7]

Age group Male Female Total %
Total 12,024,845 12,633 978 24 658 823 100
0–4 1 731 787 1 673 619 3 405 406 13.81
5–9 1 589 632 1 539 320 3 128 952 12.69
10–14 1 477 525 1 438 515 2 916 040 11.83
15–19 1 311 112 1 298 877 2 609 989 10.58
20–24 1 100 727 1 222 764 2 323 491 9.42
25–29 943 213 1 106 898 2 050 111 8.31
30–34 790 301 888 508 1 678 809 6.81
35–39 676 768 744 635 1 421 403 5.76
40–44 572 620 613 730 1 186 350 4.81
45–49 452 975 485 123 938 098 3.80
50–54 394 600 438 498 833 098 3.38
55–59 258 582 265 113 523 695 2.12
60–64 227 050 248 799 475 849 1.93
65–69 136 244 157 627 293 871 1.19
70–74 149 512 201 818 351 330 1.42
75–79 89 149 116 804 205 953 0.84
80–84 62 357 96 727 159 084 0.65
85–89 32 937 50 133 83 070 0.34
90–94 19 004 32 077 51 081 0.21
95+ 8 750 14 393 23 143 0.09
Age group Male Female Total Percent
0–14 4 798 944 4 651 454 9 450 398 38.32
15–64 6 727 948 7 312 945 14 040 893 56.94
65+ 497 953 669 579 1 167 532 4.73

Population Estimates by Sex and Age Group (01.VII.2015) (Data based on the 2010 Population Census.):[8]

Age group Male Female Total %
Total 13 562 093 14 108 081 27 670 174 100
0–4 2 020 776 1 978 634 3 999 410 14.45
5–9 1 688 452 1 624 426 3 312 878 11.97
10–14 1 567 043 1 530 309 3 097 352 11.19
15–19 1 414 987 1 410 591 2 825 578 10.21
20–24 1 251 759 1 286 040 2 537 799 9.17
25–29 1 083 877 1 168 616 2 252 493 8.14
30–34 935 947 1 031 219 1 967 166 7.11
35–39 785 200 880 037 1 665 237 6.02
40–44 661 789 742 520 1 404 309 5.08
45–49 546 030 599 902 1 145 932 4.14
50–54 445 531 487 737 933 268 3.37
55–59 348 118 379 884 728 002 2.63
60–64 270 642 299 974 570 616 2.06
65–69 196 219 223 282 419 501 1.52
70–74 142 378 170 878 313 256 1.13
75–79 96 514 126 573 223 087 0.81
80+ 106 831 167 459 274 290 0.99
Age group Male Female Total Percent
0–14 5 276 271 5 133 369 10 409 640 37.62
15–64 7 743 880 8 286 520 16 030 400 57.93
65+ 541 942 688 192 1 230 134 4.45

United Nations statistics

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In July 2022, the United Nations published its 2022 World Population Prospects, a biennially updated database where key demographic indicators are estimated and projected worldwide down to the country level. They prepared the following estimates of demographic indicators in Ghana for every year from 1950 to 2021, as well as projections for future decades.[9]

Mid-year population Live births Deaths Natural change Crude birth rate (per 1000) Crude death rate (per 1000) Natural change (per 1000) Total fertility rate (TFR) Infant mortality (per 1000 live births) Life expectancy (in years)
1950 5,078,000 237,000 114,000 123,000 46.8 22.6 24.2 6.59 149.2 43.11
1951 5,220,000 250,000 116,000 135,000 48.0 22.2 25.8 6.64 145.5 43.65
1952 5,373,000 263,000 117,000 145,000 49.0 21.9 27.1 6.68 142.2 44.07
1953 5,535,000 276,000 119,000 157,000 49.8 21.5 28.3 6.73 139.0 44.59
1954 5,706,000 287,000 121,000 167,000 50.3 21.1 29.2 6.75 136.1 45.08
1955 5,887,000 298,000 122,000 176,000 50.7 20.8 29.9 6.77 133.2 45.50
1956 6,077,000 309,000 124,000 185,000 50.9 20.4 30.5 6.80 130.6 45.90
1957 6,276,000 319,000 126,000 193,000 50.8 20.0 30.8 6.81 128.3 46.26
1958 6,479,000 328,000 128,000 201,000 50.7 19.7 31.0 6.82 126.2 46.50
1959 6,690,000 337,000 129,000 207,000 50.4 19.3 31.0 6.83 124.6 46.87
1960 6,912,000 344,000 131,000 213,000 49.8 19.0 30.8 6.85 123.1 47.10
1961 7,109,000 352,000 133,000 219,000 49.3 18.7 30.7 6.89 122.0 47.33
1962 7,281,000 359,000 137,000 222,000 49.2 18.7 30.4 6.95 121.2 47.41
1963 7,458,000 367,000 140,000 226,000 49.0 18.7 30.3 6.98 120.6 47.58
1964 7,640,000 371,000 143,000 228,000 48.4 18.7 29.7 6.93 120.1 47.72
1965 7,828,000 376,000 146,000 230,000 47.9 18.6 29.3 6.89 120.0 47.78
1966 8,020,000 381,000 150,000 231,000 47.4 18.6 28.7 6.88 120.0 47.73
1967 8,216,000 389,000 153,000 236,000 47.2 18.6 28.6 6.91 120.2 47.68
1968 8,418,000 398,000 157,000 241,000 47.2 18.7 28.5 6.91 120.3 47.57
1969 8,630,000 409,000 161,000 248,000 47.3 18.6 28.7 6.96 120.3 47.57
1970 8,862,000 418,000 163,000 255,000 47.2 18.4 28.8 6.95 120.1 47.81
1971 9,109,000 428,000 166,000 261,000 46.9 18.3 28.7 6.94 119.7 47.80
1972 9,366,000 436,000 166,000 270,000 46.5 17.8 28.8 6.91 118.4 48.03
1973 9,637,000 446,000 167,000 279,000 46.2 17.3 28.9 6.87 116.7 48.40
1974 9,919,000 455,000 168,000 287,000 45.8 16.9 29.0 6.83 114.5 48.78
1975 10,210,000 464,000 168,000 296,000 45.4 16.4 29.0 6.77 112.0 49.25
1976 10,509,000 473,000 168,000 305,000 45.0 15.9 29.0 6.72 109.1 49.76
1977 10,825,000 484,000 169,000 315,000 44.7 15.6 29.1 6.68 106.6 50.09
1978 11,163,000 498,000 171,000 327,000 44.7 15.3 29.3 6.61 104.4 50.57
1979 11,516,000 514,000 175,000 339,000 44.7 15.2 29.5 6.56 102.8 50.93
1980 11,865,000 532,000 179,000 353,000 44.8 15.1 29.7 6.52 101.6 51.12
1981 12,213,000 549,000 181,000 368,000 45.0 14.8 30.1 6.47 100.8 51.27
1982 12,585,000 563,000 183,000 380,000 44.8 14.6 30.2 6.38 100.2 51.38
1983 12,984,000 582,000 187,000 395,000 44.8 14.4 30.4 6.31 98.9 51.62
1984 13,342,000 602,000 190,000 412,000 44.9 14.2 30.8 6.24 97.1 52.05
1985 13,651,000 608,000 189,000 418,000 44.3 13.8 30.5 6.19 94.9 52.42
1986 13,972,000 613,000 186,000 427,000 43.8 13.3 30.5 6.15 92.2 53.13
1987 14,311,000 618,000 184,000 434,000 43.0 12.8 30.2 6.09 89.1 53.82
1988 14,672,000 618,000 181,000 437,000 42.0 12.3 29.7 5.96 85.8 54.51
1989 15,052,000 620,000 178,000 441,000 41.1 11.8 29.3 5.83 82.7 55.19
1990 15,447,000 625,000 178,000 447,000 40.4 11.5 28.9 5.71 79.8 55.62
1991 15,843,000 629,000 178,000 451,000 39.6 11.2 28.4 5.59 77.6 56.01
1992 16,242,000 630,000 179,000 451,000 38.7 11.0 27.7 5.47 75.7 56.23
1993 16,644,000 632,000 181,000 451,000 37.9 10.9 27.0 5.36 74.3 56.42
1994 17,041,000 627,000 187,000 441,000 36.8 10.9 25.8 5.19 73.7 56.11
1995 17,439,000 632,000 186,000 445,000 36.2 10.7 25.5 5.07 72.6 56.57
1996 17,844,000 633,000 188,000 445,000 35.4 10.5 24.9 4.93 71.4 56.82
1997 18,268,000 644,000 189,000 456,000 35.3 10.3 24.9 4.87 70.2 57.20
1998 18,715,000 660,000 190,000 471,000 35.3 10.1 25.1 4.84 68.6 57.60
1999 19,177,000 680,000 191,000 489,000 35.4 10.0 25.5 4.84 66.6 58.03
2000 19,666,000 706,000 195,000 510,000 35.9 9.9 25.9 4.85 64.3 58.20
2001 20,196,000 719,000 201,000 518,000 35.6 10.0 25.7 4.79 62.1 58.11
2002 20,758,000 733,000 202,000 531,000 35.3 9.7 25.6 4.72 59.9 58.61
2003 21,330,000 745,000 203,000 542,000 34.9 9.5 25.4 4.63 58.0 59.11
2004 21,906,000 756,000 207,000 549,000 34.5 9.5 25.1 4.53 56.3 59.19
2005 22,497,000 785,000 208,000 577,000 34.9 9.2 25.6 4.54 54.9 59.76
2006 23,099,000 788,000 211,000 577,000 34.1 9.1 25.0 4.41 53.5 59.99
2007 23,708,000 795,000 214,000 581,000 33.6 9.0 24.5 4.31 52.0 60.22
2008 24,326,000 807,000 217,000 591,000 33.2 8.9 24.3 4.25 50.5 60.49
2009 24,951,000 823,000 217,000 606,000 33.0 8.7 24.3 4.21 48.8 60.95
2010 25,575,000 844,000 221,000 624,000 33.0 8.6 24.4 4.21 47.0 61.16
2011 26,206,000 864,000 221,000 643,000 33.0 8.4 24.5 4.19 45.2 61.65
2012 26,859,000 883,000 221,000 662,000 32.9 8.2 24.6 4.18 43.4 62.08
2013 27,526,000 896,000 223,000 673,000 32.5 8.1 24.4 4.14 41.7 62.42
2014 28,196,000 898,000 220,000 677,000 31.8 7.8 24.0 4.05 40.2 63.05
2015 28,871,000 916,000 225,000 691,000 31.7 7.8 23.9 4.05 38.7 63.18
2016 29,554,000 902,000 220,000 682,000 30.5 7.5 23.1 3.91 37.4 63.89
2017 30,222,000 876,000 223,000 652,000 29.0 7.4 21.6 3.71 36.2 64.01
2018 30,871,000 897,000 228,000 669,000 29.0 7.4 21.7 3.73 35.1 64.12
2019 31,259,000 872,000 229,000 642,000 27.9 7.3 20.6 3.59 34.5 64.5
2020 31,888,000 875,000 237,000 637,000 27.4 7.4 20.0 3.54 33.5 64.3
2021 32,519,000 879,000 243,000 636,000 27.0 7.5 19.6 3.49 32.5 64.3
2022 33,149,000 882,000 235,000 646,000 26.6 7.1 19.5 3.43 31.6 65.2
2023 33,788,000 889,000 238,000 651,000 26.3 7.0 19.3 3.40 30.7 65.5
millionyear5101520253035195019601970198019902000201020202030population (million)Ghana population (millions)
‰years1820222426283032195019601970198019902000201020202030Natural change (per 1000)Ghana population natural change
‰years20406080100120140160195019601970198019902000201020202030Infant Mortality (per 1000 live births)Ghana infant mortality
TFRyears34567195019601970198019902000201020202030Total Fertility RateGhana total fertility rate

Demographics and Health Surveys

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Total Fertility Rate (TFR) (Wanted Fertility Rate) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR) Demographics Health Survey:[10]

Year Total Urban Rural
CBRTFR (WFR) CBRTFR (WFR) CBRTFR (WFR)
1993 38.0 5.5 (4.2) 32.9 3.99 (2.9) 40.2 6.36 (4.9)
1998 32.7 4.55 (3.7) 25.4 2.96 (2.4) 36.0 5.41 (4.3)
2003 32.6 4.4 (3.7) 26.6 3.1 (2.6) 36.7 5.6 (4.6)
2007 33.3 4.6 28.4 3.4 36.3 5.5
2008 30.8 4.0 (3.5) 27.1 3.1 (2.7) 33.6 4.9 (4.2)
2014 30.6 4.2 (3.6) 27.9 3.4 (3.1) 33.5 5.2 (4.3)
2017 30.0 3.9 28.3 3.3 31.7 4.7
2022 27.9 3.9 (3.4) 25.1 3.2 (2.8) 30.9 4.8 (4.2)
Years19251926192719281929[11]
Total Fertility Rate in Ghana6.436.436.426.426.42
Years1930193119321933193419351936193719381939[11]
Total Fertility Rate in Ghana6.426.416.416.416.416.406.406.406.406.39
Years1940194119421943194419451946194719481949[11]
Total Fertility Rate in Ghana6.396.396.396.386.386.386.386.376.376.37

Fertility and births (Census 2000 and 2010)

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Total Fertility Rate (TFR) and Crude Birth Rate (CBR):[12]
Year Total Urban Rural
CBRTFR CBRTFR CBRTFR
2000 31.1 3.99 26.7 3.0 33.8 4.9
2010 25.3 3.28 23.0 2.78 26.9 3.94
Births and deaths[13]
Year Population Live births Deaths Natural increase Crude birth rate Crude death rate Rate of natural increase TFR
2010 24,200,000 623,700 163,534 460,166 25.3 6.6 18.7 3.28
Fertility data as of 2014 (DHS Program):[14]
Region Total fertility rate Percentage of women aged 15–49 currently pregnant Mean number of children ever born to women aged 40–49
Western3.66.94.8
Central4.77.85.2
Greater Accra2.86.93.4
Volta4.36.14.8
Eastern4.27.94.9
Ashanti4.25.84.8
Brong Ahafo4.87.65.1
Northern6.68.96.4
Upper East4.97.95.7
Upper West5.26.86.4
Fertility and wanted fertility data as of 2014 and 2022 (DHS Program):[15][16]
Region Total fertility rate (Wanted fertility rate) 2014 Total fertility rate (Wanted fertility rate) 2022
Western3.6 (3.3)3.6 (3.0)
Central4.7 (3.8)3.6 (2.8)
Greater Accra2.8 (2.5)2.9 (2.6)
Volta4.3 (3.6)3.2 (2.7)
Eastern4.2 (3.4)3.5 (3.0)
Ashanti4.2 (3.5)3.5 (3.0)
Western North3.8 (3.3)
Brong Ahafo4.8 (3.9)4.3 (3.7)
Bono3.7 (3.4)
Bono East4.7 (4.3)
Oti5.2 (4.6)
Northern6.6 (6.2)5.6 (5.1)
Savannah5.8 (5.4)
North East6.6 (6.5)
Upper East4.9 (4.5)4.6 (4.5)
Upper West5.2 (4.5)4.5 (4.2)

Ethnic groups

[edit]
A map of Ghana's ethno-linguistic areas.

Ghana has more than 70 native ethnic groups.[17]

More than 10,000 Lebanese people live in Ghana.[18]

Languages

[edit]

Ghana is a multilingual country in which about 80 languages are spoken.[19] English is the official language and lingua franca.[20][21] Of the languages indigenous to Ghana, Akan is the most widely spoken.[22]

Ghana has more than seventy ethnic groups, each with its own distinct language.[17] Languages that belong to the same ethnic group are usually mutually intelligible.

Eleven languages have the status of government-sponsored languages: four Akan ethnic languages (Akuapem Twi, Asante Twi, Fante and Nzema) and two Mole–Dagbani ethnic languages (Dagaare and Dagbanli). The rest are Ewe, Dangme, Ga, Gonja, and Kasem, Hausa.[23]

Religion

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Christian: 71.3% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 31.6%, Protestant 17.4%, Catholic 10%, other 12.3%), Muslim 19.9%, traditionalist 3.2%, 2.1% Hindu, other 1.3%, none 1.1% (2021 census)[24]

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "International Migrant Stock". United Nations Population Division. Retrieved 12 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "2021 Population and Housing Census". Ghana Statistical Service. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  3. ↑ "Ghana 2021 Population and Housing Census". Ghana Statistical Service. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 Owusa-Ansah, David (1995). "Population Distribution". In Berry, LaVerle Bennette (ed.). Ghana: A country study. Area handbook series. Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-8444-0835-4. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Owusa-Ansah, David (1995). "Urban–Rural Disparities". In Berry, LaVerle Bennette (ed.). Ghana: A country study. Area handbook series. Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-8444-0835-4. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  6. 1 2 Owusa-Ansah, David (1995). "Population". In Berry, LaVerle Bennette (ed.). Ghana: A country study. Area handbook series. Library of Congress. ISBN 978-0-8444-0835-4. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  7. ↑ Demographic data un.org [dead link]
  8. ↑ "UNSD — Demographic and Social Statistics". unstats.un.org. Retrieved 7 April 2024.
  9. ↑ United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs Population Division (2022). "World Population Prospects 2022 Demographic indicators by region, subregion and country, annually for 1950-2100" (XLS (91MB)). United Nations Population Division. 27 (Online ed.). New York: United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. rows 5333:5404, cols M,X,AE,S,AH,S,AA,AV,AI. Archived from the original on 9 August 2022.
  10. ↑ "The DHS Program – Survey Search". Dhsprogram.com. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  11. 1 2 3 Our World in Data. "Children born per woman". Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
  12. ↑ National Analytical Report Archived 2018-07-12 at the Wayback Machine. Statsghana.gov.gh.
  13. ↑ "United Nations Statistics Division – Demographic and Social Statistics". Unstats.un.org. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  14. ↑ "Demographic and Health Survey 2014" (PDF). Dhsprogram.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  15. ↑ "Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2014" (PDF). dhsprogram.com.
  16. ↑ "Ghana Demographic and Health Survey 2022" (PDF). dhsprogram.com.
  17. 1 2 Alhaji Ibrahim Abdulai; John M. Chernoff (1992). "Master Drummers of Dagbon". University of Chicago Press. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  18. ↑ "The Lebanese effect in Ghana" (PDF).
  19. ↑ Eberhard, David M.; Simons, Gary F.; Fennig, Charles D., eds. (2023). Ethnologue: Languages of the World (Twenty-sixth ed.). Dallas: SIL International. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
  20. ↑ "The Bureau Of Ghana Languages-BGL". Ghana Embassy Washington DC, USA. 2013. Archived from the original on 1 March 2017. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  21. ↑ Kortmann, Bernd; de Gruyter, Walter (2004). A handbook of varieties of English. 1. Phonology, Volume 2. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9783110175325. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  22. ↑ "Introduction To The Verbal and Multi-Verbalsystem of Akan" (PDF). ling.hf.ntnu.no. 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 April 2014. Retrieved 16 November 2013.
  23. ↑ "The Bureau Of Ghana Languages-BGL". National Commission on Culture. 2006. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
  24. ↑ "2021 PHC General Report Vol 3C, Background Characteristics" (PDF). Ghana Statistical Service. p. 58.

Further reading

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  • Azunre, Gideon Abagna, Richard Azerigyik, and Pearl Puwurayire. "Deciphering the drivers of informal urbanization by Ghana's urban poor through the lens of the push-pull theory." InPlaning Forum Vol. 18. (2021). online
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