Contents

Country Overview

Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, lies on the Gulf of Guinea in Western Africa, bordered by Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo. Its capital is Accra. The country emerged from the former British Gold Coast and associated territories, gaining independence on March 6, 1957 and becoming a republic in 1960. Ghana is governed under the 1992 Constitution and has an economy encompassing services, agriculture, manufacturing, gold, cocoa and petroleum. [6] [19] [20] [8]

Reference status: Contemporary edition • Verified: November 5, 2026 • Statistical years identify the observation, not the page-edit date.

CapitalAccraCoastal national capital [6]
Population35.06 millionWorld Bank, 2025 estimate [2]
Total area238,537 km²UN country-profile measure [6]
Nominal GDPUS$114.21 billionWorld Bank, 2025 [1]
GDP per capitaUS$3,2572025, current US dollars [1]
CurrencyGhana cedi (GHS)100 pesewas to one cedi [6]

Statistical comparability: The 2021 census counted 30,832,019 people, whereas the World Bank’s 2025 estimate is 35,064,272. These represent different dates and statistical operations. Similarly, the central bank and statistical service use different reporting approaches for merchandise trade. [3] [2] [9] [10]

Identity and State Formation

Official name
Republic of Ghana. [19]
Common name
Ghana. [19]
Demonym
Ghanaian.
Capital
Accra, on the Gulf of Guinea. [6]
Major urban centers
Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi–Takoradi, Tamale and other regional cities. [17] [6]
Continent / UN M49 subregion
Africa / Western Africa. [22]
Historical polities
The territory now forming Ghana contains histories of Akan states including Asante, coastal polities, northern kingdoms including Dagbon, and many other communities; modern Ghana was not created from a single precolonial state. [25] [19]
Colonial-era name
Gold Coast, the principal British colonial administration over much of the territory. [19]
British Togoland transition
The UN trust territory of British Togoland voted in 1956 for integration with the future independent Ghana. [19]
Independence
March 6, 1957, from the United Kingdom; Ghana initially retained the British monarch as head of state. [19]
Republic proclaimed
July 1, 1960; Kwame Nkrumah became the first president of the republic. [19] [20]
Early post-independence president
Kwame Nkrumah was Ghana’s first prime minister following independence and first president when the republic began. [19]
1966 political transition
Military coup removed President Nkrumah; subsequent decades included civilian and military administrations. [20]
1981 political transition
The Provisional National Defence Council period followed a December 1981 military takeover and preceded the Fourth Republic. [20]
Constitutional referendum
April 28, 1992 referendum endorsed a new constitution for a return to constitutional civilian government. [20]
Present constitutional order
1992 Constitution, effective January 7, 1993, inaugurating the Fourth Republic; as subsequently amended. [20]
National day
Independence Day, March 6. [19]
ISO 3166-1 codes
GH (alpha-2); GHA (alpha-3); 288 (numeric). [6]
Internet country-code domain
.gh.
National currency code
GHS (Ghana cedi). [6]

Historical context: Ghana’s modern state formation includes precolonial societies and kingdoms, Atlantic commerce and enslavement, British colonial incorporation, self-government, independence in 1957, republican status in 1960 and successive constitutional periods. The currently operative Fourth Republic began in 1993, not in 1957. [19] [25] [20]

Geography and Population

Geographic position
West African Atlantic littoral; Gulf of Guinea to the south. [6] [7]
Total surface area
238,537 km² (United Nations country-profile series); Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture uses 238,533 km². [6] [7]
Land area
About 227,533 km², using Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture geographic convention. [7]
Inland water area
About 11,000 km² in the same Ministry of Food and Agriculture classification. [7]
Coastline
Approximately 539 km on the Gulf of Guinea (government geographic reference). [7]
Neighboring countries
Côte d’Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east. [7]
Principal terrain
Coastal plains, forested and farmed hills, the Volta Basin, and the northern savanna; low-lying to moderately elevated landscapes. [7]
Highest point
Mount Afadjato, approximately 885 m above sea level. [7]
Major waterways
Volta River system and tributaries, including the White Volta, Black Volta and Oti; Pra, Ankobra and Tano rivers. [7]
Major lake and reservoir
Lake Volta, an extensive reservoir created by the Akosombo Dam. [7]
Climate
Tropical, with wetter southwestern and coastal sectors, comparatively drier northern conditions, and marked seasonal rainfall variation. [7]
Population (2025 estimate)
35,064,272 (World Bank). This is not a direct census enumeration. [2]
Population (2021 census)
30,832,019 persons enumerated in the Ghana Statistical Service 2021 Population and Housing Census. [3]
Population change
Annual population growth about 1.8% in 2025 (World Bank model-derived series). [24]
Population density
Approximately 154 people per km² of land in 2025: 35,064,272 divided by 227,533 km², computed for this profile; not a published official density series. [2] [7]
Most populous region in 2021 census
Greater Accra Region, which overtook Ashanti Region in the 2021 census. [3]
Administrative regional count
16 regions. [17]
District administration
261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs overview. [17]
Principal environmental pressures
Forest loss, mining-related water and land degradation, urban waste management, coastal erosion and variability in rainfall. [7] [24]

Population and area conventions: The 2021 census is an enumerated resident count, while the World Bank population figure is an estimate for 2025. UN total area (238,537 km²) differs slightly from the agriculture ministry’s geographical reference (238,533 km²); land area and water area are shown using the latter methodology. [3] [2] [6] [7]

Economy and International Trade

Economic system
Mixed market economy with agriculture, services, mining, manufacturing and significant government activity. [8]
Nominal GDP
Approximately US$114.21 billion (World Bank, 2025, current U.S. dollars). [1]
Nominal GDP per capita
Approximately US$3,257 (World Bank, 2025, current U.S. dollars); not average wages or household income. [1]
Annual real GDP growth
6.0% in 2025 (Ghana Statistical Service and World Bank). [8] [1]
GDP measured in cedis
GH₵1,434.1 billion nominal GDP in 2025 (Ghana Statistical Service). Exchange-rate methods and data revisions affect conversion into U.S. dollars. [8]
Sector contribution: services
45.9% of 2025 nominal GDP (Ghana Statistical Service). [8]
Sector contribution: industry
31.3% of 2025 nominal GDP (Ghana Statistical Service). [8]
Sector contribution: agriculture
22.8% of 2025 nominal GDP (Ghana Statistical Service). [8]
Currency
Ghana cedi (GHS); subdivided into 100 pesewas. [6]
Monetary authority
Bank of Ghana (central bank). [9]
Major economic activities
Agriculture, gold mining, petroleum extraction, cocoa cultivation and processing, wholesale trade, transport, construction and digital services. [8] [9]
Major export commodities
Gold, cocoa beans and processed cocoa, crude petroleum; other merchandise includes cashews, manganese and diverse manufactured or processed products. [9] [11]
Goods exports: central-bank series
US$31.11 billion in 2025 (Bank of Ghana export-receipts series). [9]
Goods imports: central-bank series
About US$17.45 billion in 2025 (Bank of Ghana merchandise imports series). [9]
Goods trade balance: central-bank series
Surplus of approximately US$13.66 billion in 2025. [9]
Goods exports: statistical-service series
Approximately US$32.0 billion in 2025 (Ghana Statistical Service 2004–2025 merchandise review); not directly interchangeable with the Bank of Ghana export-receipts series. [10]
Goods imports: statistical-service series
Approximately US$20.5 billion in 2025 (GSS merchandise-trade review); distinct coverage and calculation from the Bank of Ghana series. [10]
Gold export receipts
US$20.98 billion in 2025 (Bank of Ghana); GSS separately reported roughly US$20.2 billion and about 63.1% of GSS exports. [9] [11]
Cocoa export receipts
US$3.86 billion in 2025 including cocoa beans and products (Bank of Ghana). [9]
Crude oil export receipts
US$2.62 billion in 2025 (Bank of Ghana). [9]
Other export receipts
About US$3.65 billion outside the main gold, cocoa and crude-oil categories (Bank of Ghana, 2025). [9]
Leading 2025 export destinations
United Arab Emirates (25.9%), India (16.0%), Switzerland (14.2%), South Africa (10.3%) and China (4.9%) by GSS 2025 merchandise-destination share. [12]
Export concentration
Gold generated about 63% of total merchandise export value by GSS 2025 measurement; exposure to metal prices is substantial. [11]
Annual inflation
14.2% consumer-price inflation for 2025 in the World Bank annual series; inflation should not be confused with a December end-of-year rate. [1]
Unemployment statistical convention
Employment indicators depend on national labor-force measurement and international modeled series; do not treat modeled unemployment as total labor underutilization. [1]
Important infrastructure
Tema and Takoradi ports, road and rail corridors, international aviation connections and the Akosombo hydroelectric installation. [7]
Economic data comparison
National-accounts (GSS), World Bank GDP, central-bank trade receipts and customs-trade totals use different definitions and publication revisions. [8] [1] [9] [10]

Principal Export Categories (2025)

Representative merchandise export categories; reported monetary values are from the Bank of Ghana 2025 export-receipts series, not a global customs-product ranking.
CategoryExamples and reporting context
GoldGold bullion and other gold export sales; approximately US$20.98 billion according to the Bank of Ghana (2025), the dominant source of merchandise receipts.
CocoaCocoa beans, paste, butter and other cocoa products; approximately US$3.86 billion in 2025 central-bank receipts.
Crude petroleumOffshore-produced crude petroleum; approximately US$2.62 billion in 2025 export receipts.
Other mineralsManganese and bauxite products, along with other mineral exports in the wider goods portfolio.
Agricultural and processed productsCashews, fruits, agricultural commodities and selected processed foods; values and rankings vary across customs classifications and years.
Manufactured and nontraditional goodsSmaller exports include selected processed minerals, forest products, consumer and industrial products.
Services (separate from merchandise)Tourism and business-related services form part of external earnings but are not included in the merchandise figures above.

2025 export-receipt components: Bank of Ghana [9]. Ghana Statistical Service’s 2025 merchandise statistics produce different aggregate figures; both series are named in the fact table [10] [11].

Trade methodologies: The Bank of Ghana reported 2025 export receipts of US$31.11 billion, imports of about US$17.45 billion and a surplus of US$13.66 billion; a later Ghana Statistical Service merchandise-trade review reported approximately US$32.0 billion of exports and US$20.5 billion of imports for 2025. Neither dataset is relabeled as the other. GDP in current U.S. dollars is also different from constant-price growth or nominal GDP in cedis. [9] [10] [1] [8]

People and Society

Official language
English; used in state administration, formal education and much national public communication. [18]
Major indigenous languages
Akan varieties (including Twi and Fante), Ewe, Ga, Dangme, Dagbani, Dagaare, Gurene, Nzema and many others. [18]
Language diversity
Multilingualism is common; ethnicity and language ability are distinct categories and should not be treated as identical census measurements. [18] [5]
Largest ethnic category
Akan: approximately 45.7% in the 2021 census classification. [5]
Mole-Dagbani population share
Approximately 18.5% (2021 census ethnic classification). [5]
Ewe population share
Approximately 12.8% (2021 census ethnic classification). [5]
Ga-Dangme population share
Approximately 7.1% (2021 census ethnic classification). [5]
Other major ethnic categories
Gurma, Guan, Grusi and Mande, in addition to other categories and communities. [5]
Christian religious affiliation
About 71.3% (2021 census), across Pentecostal/Charismatic, Protestant, Catholic and other Christian classifications. [4]
Muslim religious affiliation
About 19.9% (2021 census). [4]
Traditional religious affiliation
About 3.2–3.3% in the 2021 census-derived reporting (rounding and microdata versions differ). [4]
No religious affiliation
About 4.5% in the relevant 2021 census microdata category. [4]
Other religious affiliation
About 1.1% in the 2021 census microdata category, including various minority faiths. [4]
Religious coexistence
Christianity, Islam and Indigenous traditions have long-standing histories in Ghana; religious affiliation does not fully describe all personal practices. [4] [18]
Life expectancy
Approximately 66 years at birth (World Bank, 2024). [24]
Population age composition
The 2021 census documents a relatively youthful population; demographic proportions change and should be assigned a census year. [3]
Population growth and urban development
Greater Accra and other urban areas face housing, transport and service-delivery pressures associated with internal migration and population expansion. [3]
Principal traditional arts
Kente textiles, Adinkra symbols, carved stools, gold weights, ceremonial arts and diverse oral and musical traditions. [25]
Music and performance
Highlife, hiplife, traditional drumming and dance, and contemporary Ghanaian popular music. [25]
Major public observances
Independence Day, Constitution Day, Christian and Muslim holidays, and regional cultural festivals. [19] [18]
World Heritage sites
Forts and Castles, Volta, Greater Accra, Central and Western Regions (1979); Asante Traditional Buildings (1980). [21]
Health and education systems
Public and private provision operate alongside local and community institutions; indicators should be cited by year rather than assumed stable. [24]

Demographic interpretation: Religious and ethnic shares refer to the 2021 census and associated microdata categories. They are not measurements of current 2026 affiliation, and ethnic identity is not equivalent to everyday spoken language. Rounding and microdata extracts can create small differences in reported percentages. [4] [5] [18]

Government and Institutions

Form of government
Unitary presidential constitutional republic with competitive multiparty elections. [20]
Foundational law
Constitution of 1992, effective January 7, 1993, as amended. [20]
Current republic
Fourth Republic (inaugurated January 7, 1993). [20]
Head of state
President John Dramani Mahama (current term began January 7, 2025). [13] [14]
Head of government
President John Dramani Mahama; the president directs the executive branch. [13]
Vice president
Professor Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, inaugurated January 7, 2025. [13] [14]
Last completed presidential election
December 7, 2024; won by John Dramani Mahama. [14]
Presidential term
Four years, with a constitutional limit of two elected terms. [20]
Executive branch
President, vice president, ministers and agencies exercising executive functions under the Constitution. [13] [20]
Legislative branch
Unicameral Parliament of Ghana. [15] [16]
Parliamentary seats
276 statutory seats from the December 2024 legislative configuration (IPU); older country descriptions listing 275 seats are dated. [16]
Current legislative body
Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic, inaugurated in January 2025. [15]
Speaker of Parliament
Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, serving as Speaker of the Ninth Parliament. [15]
Legislative terms
Four-year electoral cycles; constituencies elect representatives by single-member plurality voting. [15] [16]
Judiciary
Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court and lower courts within the judicial system. [20]
Judicial independence
Constitutionally recognized judiciary, alongside separate constitutional and statutory powers assigned to other institutions. [20]
Local government
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies under Ghana’s decentralized local administrative arrangements. [17]
Regional administration
16 administrative regions and 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in the cited official overview. [17]
Current 16 regions
Ahafo, Ashanti, Bono, Bono East, Central, Eastern, Greater Accra, North East, Northern, Oti, Savannah, Upper East, Upper West, Volta, Western and Western North. [17]
2018–2019 regional reorganization
Creation of six additional regions raised the total from 10 to 16, following regional referendums and subsequent implementation. [17]
Electoral framework
President and Members of Parliament are elected in separate national polls; the Electoral Commission administers elections. [20] [16]
Political-party system
Multiparty competition; the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been leading national parties during the Fourth Republic. [15] [20]
Traditional authorities
Chieftaincy institutions continue to play recognized roles in Ghanaian public and cultural life alongside elected government. [18] [25]
Current political cutoff
Leadership and legislature checked as of November 5, 2026; officeholders and seat totals can change after the reference date. [13] [15] [16]

Contemporary government: The 1992 Constitution governs the Fourth Republic. President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang were inaugurated in January 2025; the present unicameral Parliament has 276 statutory seats, rather than the 275 stated in some older summaries. [14] [13] [16] [15]

International Profile

United Nations
Member since March 8, 1957. [6]
African Union
Member of the African Union, succeeding membership of the Organization of African Unity founded in 1963. [19]
ECOWAS
Member of the Economic Community of West African States, supporting regional economic and political coordination. [19]
Commonwealth of Nations
Member since independence in 1957, with continued membership following the establishment of the republic. [19]
World Trade Organization
Member since January 1, 1995; GATT membership began October 17, 1957. [23]
International financial institutions
Participates in World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund programs and surveillance. [1]
Major export relationships
2025 GSS records the United Arab Emirates, India, Switzerland, South Africa and China as major export destinations. [12]
Regional trade relationships
Land borders connect Ghana with Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Togo; ECOWAS frameworks shape trade and mobility. [7] [19]
UNESCO World Heritage properties
Two inscribed cultural properties: coastal forts and castles, and Asante Traditional Buildings. [21]
International time zone
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), UTC+00:00, without regular daylight saving time. [6]
International calling code
+233.
Internet country-code domain
.gh.
ISO country codes
GH / GHA / 288. [6]
United Nations geographic classification
Africa → Western Africa (M49). [22]
External economic priorities
Commodity-market diversification, stronger processing and value addition, international trade and cross-border transportation. [11] [10]

Sources and Verification

Editorial cutoff: November 5, 2026. The latest completed annual series are used where available. Older census, land-area and treaty records are identified by their observation year. GDP, trade and government data can be revised after publication.

  1. World Bank, Ghana Country Data — 2025 population, nominal GDP, GDP per capita, annual real GDP growth, inflation and other indicators; live series subject to revision.
  2. World Bank, Population, Total — Ghana — 2025 population estimate 35,064,272; not a census count.
  3. Ghana Statistical Service, 2021 Population and Housing Census: General Results — 2021 census population 30,832,019; distinct from projections and post-census estimates.
  4. Ghana Statistical Service, 2021 Census Microdata: Religious Affiliation — Representative 2021 census religious categories and proportions; tabulated values from a 10% microdata file, not separate 2026 observations.
  5. Ghana Statistical Service, 2021 Census Microdata: Major Ethnic Group — 2021 census major ethnic-group distribution, using the specified microdata variable; ethnicity is not a measure of language proficiency.
  6. United Nations Statistics Division, Ghana Country Profile — 2025 UN population and Western Africa designation; surface area 238,537 km² and United Nations membership date March 8, 1957. Some economic values on this composite profile refer to older data years.
  7. Ghana Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Facts and Figures 2023 — Geographical area convention: total 238,533 km², land 227,533 km² and water 11,000 km²; physical geography, area differences between data publishers.
  8. Ghana Statistical Service, 2025 Annual GDP Release (March 2026), summarized by Ghana News Agency — 2025 annual real growth 6.0%; 2025 nominal GDP GH₵1,434.1 billion; services/industry/agriculture GDP shares.
  9. Bank of Ghana, 2025 Merchandise Trade, summarized in February 2026 — 2025 export receipts US$31.11 billion, merchandise imports about US$17.45 billion, trade surplus US$13.66 billion; gold, cocoa and oil receipts.
  10. Ghana Statistical Service, 2025 Merchandise Trade in Two Decades Review, Ghana News Agency — GSS 2025 merchandise export series approximately US$32.0 billion and imports approximately US$20.5 billion, different from central-bank trade statistics.
  11. Ghana Statistical Service, Concentration of Gold in 2025 Exports — GSS 2025 merchandise exports approximately 63.1% gold and about US$20.2 billion gold sales; concentration risk.
  12. Ghana Statistical Service, 2025 Export Destinations, April 2026 — 2025 export destination shares led by UAE, India, Switzerland, South Africa and China (GSS merchandise-trade basis).
  13. Presidency of the Republic of Ghana — 2026 official presidency and cabinet, President John Dramani Mahama and Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang.
  14. Ghana Public Services Commission, January 7, 2025 Presidential Inauguration — President John Dramani Mahama began current term January 7, 2025, after December 2024 election.
  15. Parliament of Ghana, Official Site — Ninth Parliament of the Fourth Republic; Alban S. K. Bagbin as Speaker; current legislative chamber.
  16. Inter-Parliamentary Union, Ghana Parliament Profile — 276 statutory seats as of December 2024; distinction from older 275-seat references.
  17. Ghana Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Administrative Regions — 16 regions and 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies; some ministry list nomenclature is outdated (Brong Ahafo), so current regional names are cross-checked.
  18. Ghana Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, Culture — English as official language; Ghanaian multilingualism and national cultural heritage.
  19. Ghana African Union Mission, Republic of Ghana Profile — Independence date March 6, 1957 and OAU/AU founding context.
  20. Inter-Parliamentary Union, 1992 Ghana Legislative Elections and Fourth Republic — 1992 Constitution, referendum and Fourth Republic established January 7, 1993.
  21. UNESCO World Heritage Centre, Ghana State Party — Two inscribed UNESCO World Heritage properties: Forts and Castles (1979) and Asante Traditional Buildings (1980).
  22. United Nations Statistics Division, M49 Classification — Western Africa region classification and country code.
  23. World Trade Organization, Ghana Membership — Ghana is a WTO member since January 1, 1995.
  24. World Bank, Ghana and World: Selected Social Indicators — Life expectancy approximately 66 years (2024) and other World Bank development indicators.
  25. Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, Material Cultural Heritage — Kente, Adinkra, historical forts and castles, Asante buildings, musical heritage and historic artifacts.

Data conventions: GDP per capita is national GDP divided by population; it is not typical earnings. Total area includes surface water under the cited land convention. Trade receipts, merchandise customs totals, national-accounts output, religious affiliation, and population projections have different measurement systems. Source references are numbered in this document and linked to the original publisher or an identified secondary transcript.