Population growth rates in Ghana
Ghana: Population growth rates was 1.9 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Population growth rates in Ghana, 1950–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for population growth rates in Ghana is 1.9, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 74 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population growth rates in Ghana peaked at 3.3 in 1959 and was at its lowest, 1.9, in 2023.
That places Ghana 58th out of 236 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Population growth rates in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.81 | — |
| 1951 | 2.94 | +4.5% |
| 1952 | 3.02 | +2.7% |
| 1953 | 3.06 | +1.3% |
| 1954 | 3.16 | +3.0% |
| 1955 | 3.21 | +1.9% |
| 1956 | 3.26 | +1.4% |
| 1957 | 3.27 | +0.4% |
| 1958 | 3.2 | -2.2% |
| 1959 | 3.3 | +3.0% |
| 1960 | 3.29 | -0.1% |
| 1961 | 2.42 | -26.4% |
| 1962 | 2.4 | -1.2% |
| 1963 | 2.38 | -0.7% |
| 1964 | 2.38 | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 2.42 | +1.5% |
| 1966 | 2.39 | -1.0% |
| 1967 | 2.44 | +1.8% |
| 1968 | 2.43 | -0.2% |
| 1969 | 2.57 | +5.6% |
| 1970 | 2.77 | +8.1% |
| 1971 | 2.76 | -0.5% |
| 1972 | 2.87 | +3.9% |
| 1973 | 2.9 | +1.3% |
| 1974 | 2.9 | -0.3% |
| 1975 | 2.9 | -0.0% |
| 1976 | 2.86 | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 3.03 | +5.9% |
| 1978 | 3.04 | +0.5% |
| 1979 | 3.06 | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 2.79 | -8.9% |
| 1981 | 2.83 | +1.3% |
| 1982 | 2.98 | +5.4% |
| 1983 | 3.03 | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 2.14 | -29.4% |
| 1985 | 2.16 | +0.8% |
| 1986 | 2.24 | +3.8% |
| 1987 | 2.34 | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 2.46 | +5.1% |
| 1989 | 2.53 | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 2.57 | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 2.47 | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 2.5 | +1.1% |
| 1993 | 2.44 | -2.3% |
| 1994 | 2.37 | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 2.35 | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 2.32 | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 2.44 | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 2.43 | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 2.45 | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 2.57 | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 2.75 | +7.2% |
| 2002 | 2.75 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 2.65 | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 2.64 | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 2.6 | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 2.6 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 2.56 | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 2.52 | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 2.48 | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 2.39 | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 2.42 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 2.42 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 2.4 | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.33 | -2.6% |
| 2015 | 2.28 | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 2.27 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 2.12 | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 2.03 | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 1.99 | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 2 | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 1.92 | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 1.92 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 1.9 | -1.2% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 1.9 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.7, 1.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 1.9 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.35, 81% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Population growth rates in Ghana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | -29.4% | 3.03 | 2.14 |
| 1961 | -26.4% | 3.29 | 2.42 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.12 | 2.81 | 3.3 | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.51 | 2.38 | 3.29 | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.91 | 2.76 | 3.06 | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.55 | 2.14 | 3.03 | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.43 | 2.32 | 2.57 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.61 | 2.48 | 2.75 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.26 | 1.99 | 2.42 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.93 | 1.9 | 2 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 55 Seychelles 1.96 compare
- 56 Tajikistan 1.96 compare
- 57 Comoros 1.91 compare
- 59 Western Sahara 1.88 compare
- 60 Kuwait 1.88 compare
- 61 Montenegro 1.86 compare
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)
- Population growth rate 0.141 (2100)
- Population density 296.87 (2100)
- Projected population under age 5 4.28 million (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population growth rates in Ghana?
- Population growth rates in Ghana was 1.9 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population growth rates recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 3.3 in 1959.
- What is the lowest population growth rates recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9 in 2023.
- How does Ghana rank for population growth rates?
- Ghana ranks 58th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
- Is population growth rates rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Population growth rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).