Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Ghana
Ghana: Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) was 1,302 thousands in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
1,302 thousands
Change on year
up 4.0%
World rank
66th
of 233 countries
All-time high
1,302 thousands
in 2025
All-time low
272.67 thousands
in 1975
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Population aged 65 years or older in Ghana, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in thousands.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 1,302 thousands for population aged 65 years or older in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.0% on the previous year and up 36.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population aged 65 years or older in Ghana peaked at 1,302 thousands in 2025 and was at its lowest, 272.67 thousands, in 1975.
That places Ghana 66th out of 233 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Population aged 65 years or older (thousands) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | thousands | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 301.25 thousands | — |
| 1971 | 298.85 thousands | -0.8% |
| 1972 | 283.79 thousands | -5.0% |
| 1973 | 277.1 thousands | -2.4% |
| 1974 | 274.11 thousands | -1.1% |
| 1975 | 272.67 thousands | -0.5% |
| 1976 | 273.51 thousands | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 272.81 thousands | -0.3% |
| 1978 | 287.69 thousands | +5.5% |
| 1979 | 304.88 thousands | +6.0% |
| 1980 | 324.17 thousands | +6.3% |
| 1981 | 316.3 thousands | -2.4% |
| 1982 | 311.51 thousands | -1.5% |
| 1983 | 324.57 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1984 | 344.08 thousands | +6.0% |
| 1985 | 349.27 thousands | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 356.27 thousands | +2.0% |
| 1987 | 364.46 thousands | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 373.4 thousands | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 383.17 thousands | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 394.78 thousands | +3.0% |
| 1991 | 408.69 thousands | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 424.04 thousands | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 441.49 thousands | +4.1% |
| 1994 | 460.01 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 479.35 thousands | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 500.85 thousands | +4.5% |
| 1997 | 524.4 thousands | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 549.65 thousands | +4.8% |
| 1999 | 576.41 thousands | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 603.54 thousands | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 629.99 thousands | +4.4% |
| 2002 | 657.31 thousands | +4.3% |
| 2003 | 684.67 thousands | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 711.57 thousands | +3.9% |
| 2005 | 737.22 thousands | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 761.56 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2007 | 786.6 thousands | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 810.91 thousands | +3.1% |
| 2009 | 832.18 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 851.5 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 870.5 thousands | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 888.29 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 906.35 thousands | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 927.47 thousands | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 951.62 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 976.07 thousands | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 1,002 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 1,029 thousands | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 1,058 thousands | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 1,090 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 1,122 thousands | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 1,158 thousands | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 1,203 thousands | +3.8% |
| 2024 | 1,251 thousands | +4.1% |
| 2025 | 1,302 thousands | +4.0% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 1,302 thousands is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 516.96 thousands, 2.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 1,302 thousands is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 448.46 thousands, 2.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 284.67 thousands | 272.67 thousands | 304.88 thousands | 10 |
| 1980s | 344.72 thousands | 311.51 thousands | 383.17 thousands | 10 |
| 1990s | 475.97 thousands | 394.78 thousands | 576.41 thousands | 10 |
| 2000s | 721.56 thousands | 603.54 thousands | 832.18 thousands | 10 |
| 2010s | 946.18 thousands | 851.5 thousands | 1,058 thousands | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,188 thousands | 1,090 thousands | 1,302 thousands | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More population data for Ghana
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1514 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1514 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2469 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 52,232 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.76 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5066 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.1% (2100)
- Population density 296.87 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 4.28 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population aged 65 years or older in Ghana?
- Population aged 65 years or older in Ghana was 1,302 thousands in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 1,302 thousands in 2025.
- What is the lowest population aged 65 years or older recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 272.67 thousands in 1975.
- How does Ghana rank for population aged 65 years or older?
- Ghana ranks 66th out of 233 countries with data for 2025.
- Is population aged 65 years or older rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Population aged 65 years or older (thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release