Ghana Population (1960-2026) & Projected growth

The current population of Ghana is 35,885,254 people, as of 2026 based on the adjusted UN estimation. The latest officially reported number was 34,427,414 in 2024.

Ghana is projected to reach 68.1M people in 2100.
Since 2006, population has increased from 23M people to 35.9M (55.7% growth in 20 years).
Ghana accounts for 0.43% of the world's population.
Ghana is ranked 46/197 by population and was ranked 48th in 2006.
For the last 20 years, Ghana has had an average growth rate of 2.79% per year.

Ghana population and growth rate by year

1x

Year	Population	Growth rate
2100	68,131,252	0.16%
2099	68,021,644	0.18%
2098	67,902,002	0.19%
2097	67,772,694	0.2%
2096	67,638,801	0.21%
2095	67,494,855	0.23%
2094	67,339,471	0.24%
2093	67,176,337	0.26%
2092	67,005,259	0.28%
2091	66,817,473	0.3%
2090	66,618,611	0.32%
2089	66,408,323	0.33%
2088	66,186,701	0.36%
2087	65,950,524	0.36%
2086	65,712,980	0.38%
2085	65,464,770	0.39%
2084	65,209,090	0.42%
2083	64,935,455	0.44%
2082	64,651,183	0.46%
2081	64,355,091	0.48%
2080	64,047,069	0.5%
2079	63,730,285	0.53%
2078	63,397,338	0.54%
2077	63,059,578	0.55%
2076	62,711,928	0.58%
2075	62,350,445	0.59%
2074	61,987,133	0.6%
2073	61,616,792	0.62%
2072	61,239,369	0.64%
2071	60,847,204	0.65%
2070	60,454,501	0.67%
2069	60,053,700	0.7%
2068	59,639,035	0.72%
2067	59,215,226	0.73%
2066	58,786,613	0.74%
2065	58,353,059	0.77%
2064	57,904,896	0.79%
2063	57,451,482	0.82%
2062	56,986,329	0.84%
2061	56,511,652	0.86%
2060	56,031,122	0.88%
2059	55,540,726	0.91%
2058	55,042,478	0.93%
2057	54,535,407	0.96%
2056	54,018,018	0.98%
2055	53,492,136	1.01%
2054	52,959,604	1.03%
2053	52,417,582	1.06%
2052	51,869,801	1.09%
2051	51,311,110	1.12%
2050	50,740,453	1.15%
2049	50,163,262	1.18%
2048	49,577,819	1.22%
2047	48,982,219	1.24%
2046	48,383,052	1.27%
2045	47,776,375	1.3%
2044	47,163,926	1.32%
2043	46,548,210	1.36%
2042	45,925,724	1.38%
2041	45,300,725	1.41%
2040	44,669,515	1.43%
2039	44,038,043	1.47%
2038	43,402,009	1.5%
2037	42,760,604	1.52%
2036	42,120,700	1.55%
2035	41,478,927	1.58%
2034	40,831,962	1.61%
2033	40,184,070	1.63%
2032	39,540,131	1.65%
2031	38,900,194	1.68%
2030	38,258,832	1.69%
2029	37,623,609	1.72%
2028	36,986,250	1.75%
2027	36,349,705	1.78%
2026	35,713,042	1.83%
2025	35,071,292	1.87%
2024	34,427,414	1.89%
2023	33,787,914	1.93%
2022	33,149,152	1.94%
2021	32,518,665	1.98%
2020	31,887,809	2.01%
2019	31,258,945	2.03%
2018	30,637,585	2.1%
2017	30,008,354	2.22%
2016	29,356,742	2.3%
2015	28,696,068	2.33%
2014	28,041,592	2.39%
2013	27,386,193	2.44%
2012	26,734,268	2.45%
2011	26,095,088	2.43%
2010	25,474,995	2.46%
2009	24,862,664	2.53%
2008	24,249,946	2.57%
2007	23,642,279	2.61%
2006	23,040,702	2.63%
2005	22,449,438	2.66%
2004	21,868,298	2.68%
2003	21,296,705	2.74%
2002	20,729,388	2.79%
2001	20,167,069	2.7%
2000	19,637,087	2.54%
1999	19,149,864	2.47%
1998	18,688,036	2.46%
1997	18,238,958	2.41%
1996	17,810,181	2.36%
1995	17,399,017	2.39%
1994	16,993,190	2.43%
1993	16,589,519	2.5%
1992	16,184,855	2.52%
1991	15,787,496	2.55%
1990	15,394,648	2.58%
1989	15,006,813	2.53%
1988	14,636,568	2.43%
1987	14,289,108	2.32%
1986	13,965,217	2.23%
1985	13,661,229	2.17%
1984	13,370,590	2.62%
1983	13,029,836	3.05%
1982	12,643,819	2.95%
1981	12,281,712	2.85%
1980	11,941,448	2.97%
1979	11,597,255	3.1%
1978	11,248,450	3.08%
1977	10,911,871	2.99%
1976	10,594,913	2.92%
1975	10,294,308	2.94%
1974	10,000,523	2.94%
1973	9,714,617	2.93%
1972	9,438,187	2.85%
1971	9,176,264	2.81%
1970	8,925,813	2.71%
1969	8,690,383	2.53%
1968	8,475,729	2.46%
1967	8,271,913	2.44%
1966	8,074,521	2.43%
1965	7,882,606	2.43%
1964	7,695,739	2.41%
1963	7,514,714	2.42%
1962	7,337,375	2.44%
1961	7,162,667	2.89%
1960	6,961,215	-

Data sources: United Nations | World Population Prospects (2025–2100, retrieved 2026-03-10); World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/ghana | CC BY

Ghana has a population of 35.9M as of 2026, compared to 29.4M in 2016, 23M in 2006, and 17.8M in 1996.

Over the past 10 years, the population has had a trend to increase by an average of 2.22% per year. Ghana is ranked 54th out of 197 countries by a 10-year average growth rate.

The UN's World Population Prospects forecasts that with changing growth rate trends in 20 years (in 2046) Ghana will have 48,383,052 people (34.8% growth) with a rank change from 46th to 41st.

By the year 2100, Ghana's population is projected to grow by 89.9% from its current level to 68.1M people.

Natural change and net migration by year

1x

Year	Population change
Year	Total	Natural	Net migration
2025	-	-	-17,079
2024	-	-	-13,114
2023	641,091	651,094	-10,003
2022	636,438	646,441	-10,003
2021	624,546	635,805	-11,259
2020	637,178	637,469	-291
2019	620,546	642,403	-21,857
2018	622,176	641,551	-19,375
2017	636,305	641,218	-4,913
2016	666,919	659,910	7,009
2015	654,423	667,729	-13,306
2014	654,517	660,829	-6,312
2013	656,261	658,638	-2,377
2012	647,600	646,595	1,005
2011	630,781	631,501	-720
2010	609,407	613,133	-3,726
2009	615,241	592,825	22,416
2008	610,201	579,695	30,506
2007	605,145	572,332	32,813
2006	598,010	569,474	28,536
2005	584,506	563,234	21,272
2004	577,772	543,339	34,433
2003	565,424	536,656	28,768
2002	569,193	528,620	40,573
2001	555,432	519,382	36,050
2000	504,532	508,738	-4,206
1999	469,906	487,210	-17,304
1998	453,749	471,313	-17,564
1997	444,413	459,822	-15,409
1996	413,146	450,259	-37,113
1995	409,190	451,748	-42,558
1994	402,469	449,589	-47,120
1993	404,877	454,669	-49,792
1992	404,420	452,156	-47,736
1991	390,281	448,159	-57,878
1990	395,422	442,211	-46,789
1989	380,248	432,541	-52,293
1988	360,221	425,031	-64,810
1987	334,680	419,328	-84,648
1986	313,092	411,191	-98,099
1985	294,867	401,722	-106,855
1984	286,398	392,053	-105,655
1983	395,122	379,846	15,276
1982	376,924	369,061	7,863
1981	347,276	359,572	-12,296
1980	333,252	346,816	-13,564
1979	355,139	334,848	20,291
1978	342,469	324,428	18,041
1977	330,672	315,429	15,243
1976	303,241	305,769	-2,528
1975	297,975	298,267	-292
1974	289,599	290,796	-1,197
1973	282,217	283,385	-1,168
1972	270,647	275,236	-4,589
1971	253,204	265,442	-12,238
1970	247,705	257,938	-10,233
1969	223,173	251,925	-28,752
1968	206,138	242,821	-36,683
1967	201,490	237,156	-35,666
1966	193,297	231,440	-38,143
1965	190,542	229,061	-38,519
1964	183,205	226,685	-43,480
1963	178,851	225,367	-46,516
1962	175,825	223,842	-48,017
1961	173,595	222,372	-48,777
1960	229,315	217,134	12,181

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-04-06).

GeoRank.org/population/ghana | CC BY

Over the last 10 years, 98.6% of the population change in Ghana is from natural causes (a gain of 6,484,449 people) and 1.37% is from migration (a loss of 90,310 people).

As of 2024, 532,286 residents or 1.5% of the population were not native-born in Ghana, compared to 337,766 and 1.3% in 2010.

Ghana population clock

	Ghana	Rank
Current population	35885254	46/197
Percent of world population	0.43%	46/197
One net population change	49.3 seconds	36/197
One birth every	35.5 seconds	36/196
One death every	2.21 minutes	41/196
Daily growth/decline	+1,752	36/197
Annual growth/decline	+639,500	36/197
Annual growth/decline rate	+1.89%	57/197
One migration net change every	30.9 minutes	150/196
Annual migration change	-17,079	150/196
Foreign-born residents	532,286	77/195
Foreign-born share of population	1.5%	145/195

Largest cities by population

Ghana
City	Population
Kumasi	3.9M
Accra	1.78M
Tamale	730K
Sekondi-Takoradi	540K
Ashaiman	208K
Obuasi	180K
Tema	162K
Koforidua	127K
Ho	126K
Hohoe	56.2K

Ghana population statistics

	Ghana	World
Life expectancy	66.1 years	73.8 years
Average age	26 years	33.8 years
Median age	22.2 years	31.6 years
Male:Female ratio	49.9:50.1	50.3:49.7
Fertility rate	3.4 births per woman	2.2 births per woman
Population density	407 ppl/mi²	144 ppl/mi²

More about the demographics of Ghana.

Population map with other countries

1x

Data sources: World Bank | Health (1960–2024, retrieved 2026-04-06); United Nations | World Population Prospects (1960–2026, retrieved 2026-03-10); U.S. Census Bureau (1960–2025, retrieved 2026-02-08); Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) (2000–2019, retrieved 2026-02-20).

GeoRank.org/population/ghana | CC BY