Ghana by the Numbers: Population, Economy, Governance and the Data That Tells the Story

Quick Facts

• Population: 35.1 million (2025 estimate)

• GDP growth: 6.0% in 2025

• Inflation: 5.4% by December 2025

• Public debt: GH¢641.1 billion (44.7% of GDP)

• Regions: 16

• Mobile money accounts: 80.5 million registered

Population and People

1. Population: Ghana’s population is estimated at 35.1 million as of mid-2025 .

2. Population growth: The country’s population annual doubling time is approximately 27 years, reflecting a growth rate above 2.5% annually .

3. Age structure: The population aged 0-14 makes up a significant share of the total, while those aged 15-64 form the working-age majority .

4. Sex ratio: Females make up 50.7% of the population and males 49.3%, according to the 2021 Population and Housing Census .

5. Households: The 2021 census enumerated 8,345,414 households, with an average national household size of 3.6 persons .

6. Population density: The national population density was 129 persons per square kilometre in the 2021 census .

7. Structures: Over 10.6 million structures were counted during the 2021 census listing, of which 80.2% were fully completed .

Geography and Administrative Divisions

8. Regions: Ghana is divided into 16 regions .

9. Districts: The regions are subdivided into districts, municipal, and metropolitan assemblies. The Ashanti Region alone has 17 municipal, 1 metropolitan, and 25 district assemblies.

10. Greater Accra: The Greater Accra Region comprises 23 municipal, 2 metropolitan, and 4 district assemblies .

11. Northern Region: The Northern Region has 12 district, 1 metropolitan, and 3 municipal assemblies .

12. Smallest region by population: The Ahafo Region has the smallest population at approximately 564,536, according to 2021 census data .

13. Largest region by population: The Ashanti Region has the largest population, followed by the Greater Accra Region .

Economy and Growth

14. GDP growth (2025): Ghana’s economy expanded by 6.0% in 2025, up from 5.8% in 2024 .

15. Q4 2025 growth: The fourth quarter of 2025 saw a year-on-year growth rate of 5.8% .

16. Nominal GDP: Ghana’s nominal GDP rose from GH¢1.183 trillion to GH¢1.434 trillion in 2025 .

17. Real GDP: Real GDP increased from GH¢197.9 billion to GH¢209.6 billion .

18. Per capita GDP: Per capita GDP rose to GH¢42,502 in 2025, an 18.6% increase from GH¢35,834 in 2024 .

19. Services sector: Services accounted for 50.6% of GDP in Q4 2025 and contributed 63.4% to overall growth .

20. Agriculture sector: Agriculture represented 19.9% of GDP in Q4 2025 and grew by 5.3% .

21. Industry sector: Industry accounted for 29.6% of GDP but grew by only 1.9% in Q4 2025 .

22. Fastest-growing subsector: Information and communication grew by 28.3% in Q4 2025, the fastest of any subsector .

23. Non-oil economy: Non-oil GDP grew by 7.6% in 2025, demonstrating strength beyond the oil sector .

Inflation and Monetary Policy

24. Annual average inflation (2025): The annual average inflation rate fell to 14.6% in 2025, down from 22.9% in 2024 .

25. December 2025 inflation: Inflation closed the year at 5.4%, a dramatic decline from 23.8% in December 2024 .

26. Food inflation: Food inflation declined to 4.9% in December 2025 .

27. Non-food inflation: Non-food inflation stood at 5.8% in December 2025 .

28. Locally produced items: Inflation for locally produced items was 5.9% in December 2025 .

29. Imported items: Inflation for imported items was 4.3% in December 2025 .

Public Debt

30. Total public debt: Ghana’s public debt stood at GH¢641.1 billion (US$61.3 billion) at end-December 2025 .

31. Debt-to-GDP ratio: The public debt-to-GDP ratio declined sharply to 44.7% at end-December 2025, from 61.6% in 2024 .

32. External debt: External debt was GH¢307.4 billion in 2025 .

33. Domestic debt: Domestic debt was GH¢333.8 billion in 2025 .

34. Cedi appreciation: The Ghana cedi appreciated by 40.7% against the US dollar in 2025, compared to a depreciation of 19.2% in 2024 .

35. Domestic interest rate: The weighted average interest rate on domestic debt declined from 16.2% to 12.8% .

36. External interest rate: The weighted average external interest rate rose from 1.8% to 3.3%, reflecting the resumption of Eurobond debt service .

37. Average Time to Maturity: The ATM of the total debt portfolio declined marginally to 6.2 years .

Mobile Money and Digital Payments

38. Registered mobile money accounts: Ghana recorded 80.5 million registered mobile money accounts in 2025 .

39. Active mobile money accounts: Of the registered accounts, 26.6 million were active .

40. Mobile money agents: There were 959,380 registered agents, with 491,060 active .

41. Mobile money transactions: Ghanaians conducted 9.70 billion mobile money transactions valued at GH¢4.54 trillion in 2025 .

42. Financial access: Ghana achieved approximately 96.0% access to financial services, surpassing the National Financial Inclusion Development Strategy target of 85% .

43. Mobile money credit: 22% of adults accessed credit through mobile money platforms .

44. MoMo float value: The value of funds held in customer wallets at MobileMoney Limited rose to GH¢38.4 billion in 2025, a 60.9% increase .

Politics and Elections

45. 2024 election result: The National Democratic Congress (NDC) won the 2024 general elections with 6,328,397 votes (56.55%) .

46. NPP performance: The New Patriotic Party (NPP) secured 4,657,304 votes (41.61%), a decline of over 2 million votes from 2020 .

47. Parliamentary seats (NDC): The NDC won 187 parliamentary seats, up from 137 in 2020 .

48. Parliamentary seats (NPP): The NPP’s parliamentary representation fell from 137 to 88 seats .

Governance Structure

49. Constitutional framework: Ghana operates under the 1992 Constitution, establishing a presidential system with a unicameral Parliament .

50. Local governance: The country operates a two-level administrative system: 16 regions, followed by district and municipal assemblies as the smallest administrative units .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ghana’s population?
Ghana’s population is estimated at 35.1 million as of mid-2025 .

How fast is Ghana’s economy growing?
Ghana’s economy grew by 6.0% in 2025, driven primarily by the services sector .

What is Ghana’s inflation rate?
The annual average inflation rate was 14.6% in 2025, with December 2025 inflation at 5.4% .

How much debt does Ghana have?
Ghana’s public debt stood at GH¢641.1 billion at end-December 2025, equivalent to 44.7% of GDP .

How many regions does Ghana have?
Ghana has 16 administrative regions .

How many mobile money accounts are in Ghana?
There were 80.5 million registered mobile money accounts in 2025, with 26.6 million active .

Who won Ghana’s 2024 election?
The NDC won the 2024 general elections with 56.55% of the vote and 187 parliamentary seats.

What to Remember

Ghana’s numbers tell a story of recovery and resilience. The economy grew by 6.0% in 2025. Inflation fell dramatically to 5.4% by December. The debt-to-GDP ratio dropped from over 60% to 44.7%. The cedi appreciated by 40.7% against the dollar.

But the numbers also reveal challenges. Industry growth remains sluggish at 1.9%. The debt burden, while reduced, still stands at GH¢641.1 billion. And the country’s population continues to grow rapidly, adding pressure on infrastructure and services.

For ordinary Ghanaians, these statistics are not abstract. They determine the cost of food, the availability of jobs, the stability of the currency, and the quality of public services. Understanding the numbers is the first step toward understanding the country.

Source: The Accra Daily Mail

Samuel Kwame Boadu

Samuel Kwame Boadu is a Ghanaian media entrepreneur and storyteller with a passion for amplifying urban voices and uncovering everyday truths. He is the Editor-in-Chief and Founder of The Accra Daily Mail, a dynamic digital platform dedicated to capturing the pulse of Ghana’s capital—its people, culture, challenges, business, sports and innovations.