The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) is a Ghanaian governing body established to report to the presidency. [1] The GSS conducts Population and Housing Census in the country. [2]
The GSS is a Public Service body established under the Statistical Service Law 135 in 1985 by the PNDC. The first population census in Ghana began in 1891 as efforts were made to collect and disseminate statistical information. [3]
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It lies adjacent to the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing a border with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Togo in the east. Ghana covers an area of 239,567 km2 (92,497 sq mi), spanning diverse biomes that range from coastal savannas to tropical rainforests. With nearly 35 million inhabitants, Ghana is the second-most populous country in West Africa. The capital and largest city is Accra; other significant cities include Kumasi, Tamale, and Sekondi-Takoradi.
Demographic features of the population of Ghana include population density, ethnicity, education level, health of the populace, religious affiliations, and other aspects.
Jerry John Rawlings was a Ghanaian military coup leader, aviator and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the democratically elected president of Ghana.
GSS codes are nine-character geocodes maintained by the United Kingdom's Office for National Statistics (ONS) to represent a wide range of geographical areas of the UK, for use in tabulating census and other statistical data. GSS refers to the Government Statistical Service of which ONS is part.
Islam was the first Abrahamic monotheistic religion to arrive in Ghana. Today, it is the second most widely professed religion in the country behind Christianity. Its presence in Ghana dates back to the 10th century. According to the Ghana Statistical Service's Population and Housing census (2021), the percentage of Muslims in Ghana is about 20%.
Hohoe is a town and the district capital of Hohoe Municipality located in the Volta Region of Ghana. It is about 78 km (48 mi) from Ho, the regional capital and 220 km (140 mi) from Accra, the national capital. The population of Hohoe Municipality, according to the 2010 Population and Housing Census, is 167,016 representing 7.9 per cent of the total population of the Volta Region. It comprises 52.1 per cent females and 47.9 percent males.
The Judiciary of Ghana comprises the Superior Courts of Judicature, established under the 1992 Constitution, and the Inferior Courts, established by Parliament. The hierarchy of courts derives largely from British juridical forms. The courts have jurisdiction over all civil and criminal matters.
The Ghana Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) was established by law in 1968 with a triple mandate as a State Broadcaster, Public Service Broadcaster, and a Commercial Broadcaster in Ghana. Headquartered in the capital city, Accra, it is funded by grants, broadcasting television commercials and the levying of a television licence, costing 36 cedis and 60 cedis for one or more TV sets in the same house every year. TV set repairers and sales outlets are to pay an annual sum of between 60 cedis to 240 cedis.
In precolonial Ghana, infectious diseases were the main cause of morbidity and mortality. The modern history of health in Ghana was heavily influenced by international actors such as Christian missionaries, European colonists, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. In addition, the democratic shift in Ghana spurred healthcare reforms in an attempt to address the presence of infectious and noncommunicable diseases eventually resulting in the formation of the National Health insurance Scheme in place today.
The Census and Statistics Department is the provider of major social and economic official statistics in Hong Kong. It is also responsible for conducting Population Census and By-census in Hong Kong since 1971. Its head office is in the Wanchai Tower in Wan Chai.
Christianity is the religion with the largest following in Ghana. Christian denominations include Catholics, Methodists, Anglicans, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Seventh-Day Adventists, Pentecostals, Baptists, Evangelical Charismatics, Latter-day Saints, etc.
The Ghanaian people are a nation originating in the Ghanaian Gold Coast. Ghanaians predominantly inhabit the Republic of Ghana and are the predominant cultural group and residents of Ghana, numbering 34 million people as of 2024, making up 85% of the population. The word "Ghana" means "warrior king". An estimated diaspora population of 4 million people worldwide are of Ghanaian descent. The term ethnic Ghanaian may also be used in some contexts to refer to a group of related ethnic groups native to the Gold Coast.
Oyeeman Wereko Ampem II, was a Ghanaian civil servant, businessman and traditional ruler. He was Gyaasehene of Akuapem and Ohene of Amanokrom from 1975 till his death in 2005. He served as Commissioner for Economic Affairs in Ghana from 1967 to 1969 and Government Statistician from 1960 to 1966.
The Ghana Statistical Service reports from their 2021 census indicate that approximately eight percent of the Ghanaian population experience some form of disability, with a higher prevalence among females (8.8%) than males (6.7%). Disabilities are more common in rural areas (9.5%) compared to urban areas (6.5%). Among the six domains of disability, difficulty in seeing is the most widespread, affecting four percent of the population, while difficulty in communicating is the least common, affecting one percent. Disability issues in Ghana have evolved from a human rights concern to a developmental issue due to Ghana's high poverty rate.
Ghanaian English is a variety of English spoken in Ghana. English is the official language of Ghana, and is used as a lingua franca throughout the country. English remains the designated language for all official and formal purposes even as there are 11 indigenous government-sponsored languages used widely throughout the country.
Grace Afua Bediako is a Ghanaian statistician and the former head of the Ghana Statistical Service. She was formerly a member of the National Development Planning Commission (NDPC).
Abortion in Ghana is banned except when there is a valid exemption. The abortion should also be conducted only at a government hospital; registered private hospital, clinics registered under the Private Hospitals and Maternity Homes Act, 1958 and a place approved by the Minister of Health by a Legislative Instrument. Illegal abortions are criminal offenses subject to at most five years in prison for the pregnant woman who induced said abortion, as well as for any doctor or other person who assisted this pregnant woman in accessing, or carrying out, an abortion. Attempts to cause abortions are also criminal, as are the purveyance, supply, or procurement of chemicals and instruments whose intent is to induce abortions.
Philomena Efua Nyarko is a Ghanaian statistician and academic, and the former Government Statistician for Ghana, chief executive of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).