Ghana - Society

Population:23,947,000 (2008); 50% lives in urban areas and 9% in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million people; growth 2.8% p.a. 1970–90 and 2.4% p.a. 1990–2006; birth rate (2006) 30 per 1,000 people (47 in 1970); life expectancy 60 years (49 in 1970).

The population is predominantly of African groups: Akan (44% in 1998), Mole–Dagbani (16%), Ewe (13%), Ga-Adangbe (8%), Gurma (3.3%), Yoruba (1.3%), Guan. There are small minorities of other races.

Religion:Christians 63%, Muslims 16%, and traditional animist religions are often practised alongside both of these religions.

Language:The official language is English, with a further eight main national languages. The principal indigenous language group is Akan, of which Twi and Fanti are the most commonly used forms. Ga is spoken in the Accra region and Ewe in Volta. The Mole–Dagbani language group occurs in northern Ghana.

Media: A free press operates in Ghana with no major restrictions on private press or broadcasters. There are lively phone-ins which are very popular. State-run Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) runs TV and radio networks.

BBC World Service and Radio France Internationale are available on FM.

Daily Graphic and Ghanaian Times (both state-owned), and The Accra Daily Mail are daily newspapers. The Ghanaian Chronicle publishes three times a week, and Ghana Palaver, The Independent, The Mirror and Sunday Herald are weeklies.

There are 52 TV sets (2003), five personal computers (2004) and 28 internet users (2007) per 1,000 people.

Education:Public spending on education was 5.4% of GDP in 2005. There are nine years of compulsory education starting at age six. Net enrolment ratios are 64% for primary and 38% for secondary (2006). The pupil–teacher ratio for primary is 35:1 and for secondary 20:1 (2006). The school year starts in September.

About 5% of the relevant age group is enrolled in tertiary education (2006). There are five universities, including the most recently established University for Development Studies at Tamale. There are many teacher-training colleges, polytechnics and specialised tertiary institutions.

Health:Public hospital and other medical care is provided at nominal rates. As well as public hospitals and clinics, some are private and some operated by religious missions. 80% of the population uses an improved drinking water source and 10% have adequate sanitation facilities (2006). Infant mortality was 76 per 1,000 live births in 2006 (126 in 1960). AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis pose serious problems, and there have been cases of yellow fever, bilharzia and intestinal worms in rural areas. At the end of 2005, 2.2% of people age 15 and over were HIV positive.

Communications:Country code 233. Mobile phone coverage is good around main towns but patchy elsewhere. There is a wide range of roaming agreements.

Internet connections exist in most towns but can be slow. Hotels usually have faster access and this service is improving rapidly together with internet popularity.

There are 16 main telephone lines and 324 mobile phone subscriptions per 1,000 people (2007).

Public holidays: New Year’s Day, Independence Day (6 March), Workers’ Day (1 May), Africa Day (25 May), Republic Day (1 July), Farmers’ Day (first Friday in December), Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

Religious and other festivals whose dates vary from year to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday, Eid al-Fitr (End of Ramadan) and Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice).