Ghana | Facts & Information

Updated September 9, 2022 | Infoplease Staff
Infoplease has everything you need to know about Ghana. Check out our country profile, full of essential information about Ghana's geography, history, government, economy, population, culture, religion and languages. If that's not enough, click over to our collection of world maps and flags.

Facts & Figures

  • President: John Dramani Mahama (2012)

    Land area: 88,811 sq mi (230,020 sq km); total area: 92,456 sq mi (239,460 sq km)

    Population (2014 est.): 25,758,108 (growth rate: 2.19%); birth rate: 31.4/1000; infant mortality rate: 38.52/1000; life expectancy: 65.75

    Capital and largest city (2011 est.): Accra, 2.573 million

    Other large cities: Kumasi, 2.019 million (2011)

    Monetary unit: Cedi

    Current government officials

    Languages: Asante 14.8%, Ewe 12.7%, Fante 9.9%, Boron (Brong) 4.6%, Dagomba 4.3%, Dangme 4.3%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.7%, Akyem 3.4%, Ga 3.4%, Akuapem 2.9%, other (includes English (official)) 36.1% (2000 census)

    Ethnicity/race: Akan 47.5%, Mole-Dagbon 16.6%, Ewe 13.9%, Ga-Dangme 7.4%, Gurma 5.7%, Guan 3.7%, Grusi 2.5%, Mande-Busanga 1.1%, other 1.6% (2010 census)

    Religions: Christian 71.2% (Pentecostal/Charismatic 28.3%, Protestant 18.4%, Catholic 13.1%, other 11.4%), Muslim 17.6%, traditional 5.2%, other 0.8%, none 5.2% (2010 census)

    National Holiday: Independence Day, March 6

    Literacy rate: 71.5% (2010 est.)

    Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2013 est.): $90.41 billion; per capita $3,500. Real growth rate: 7.9%. Inflation: 11%. Unemployment: 11% (2000 est.). Arable land: 20.12%. Agriculture: cocoa, rice, coffee, cassava (tapioca), peanuts, corn, shea nuts, bananas; timber. Labor force: 12.07 million (2013 est.); agriculture 56%, industry 15%, services 29% (2005 est.). Industries: mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building. Natural resources: gold, timber, industrial diamonds, bauxite, manganese, fish, rubber, hydropower, petroleum, silver, salt, limestone. Exports: $13.37 billion (2013 est.): oil, gold, cocoa, timber, tuna, bauxite, aluminum, manganese ore, diamonds. Imports: $14.03 billion (2011 est.): capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs. Major trading partners: Netherlands, Italy, UK, France, Germany, U.S., India, Singapore, Nigeria, China (2012).

    Member of Commonwealth of Nations

    Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 285,000 (2012); mobile cellular: 25.618 million (2012). 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 (2007). Internet hosts: 59,086 (2012). Internet users: 1.297 million (2009).

    Transportation: Railways: total: 947 km (2008). Highways: total: 109,515 km; paved: 9,955 km; unpaved: 52,266 km (2009). Waterways: 1,293 km; note: 168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta (2011). Ports and harbors: Takoradi, Tema. Airports: 10 (2013).

    International disputes: disputed maritime border between Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.

    Major sources and definitions