Ghana’s population has reached 24,233, 431 from 18.912 million in 2000, according to provisional estimates of the 2010 Population and Housing Census, released yesterday by Government Statistician, Dr. Grace Bediako.
The figures which showed that females were 620,109 more than males, put Ashanti, the stronghold of the largest opposition party, the New Patriotic Party, as the region with the highest population of 4,725,046, followed by the Greater Accra region, which is made up of cosmopolitan people, with 3,909,764.
Ashanti and Greater Accra regions previously had populations of 3,612,950 and 2,905,726 respectively, according to the 2000 estimates.
Eastern followed suit with 2,596,013 and then Northern region with 2,468,557, recording the highest growth rate of 35.6 percent.
Western, Brong Ahafo and Central regions were 5th, 6th and 7th with populations of 2,325,597, 2,282,128 and 2,107,209 respectively.
Volta region, considered as the World Bank of the ruling National Democratic Congress, placed 8th with a population of 2,099,876 compared to 1,635,421 in the year 2000, whilst the Upper East and Upper West followed with populations of 1,031,478 and 677,763 in that order.
But have the figures quashed speculations that the NDC has a hand in the postponement of the announcement of the census results Monday?
Social analysts and political watchers have expressed concern about the growth rate of the Northern region mainly because more people in the northern belt of the country are migrating to the south of the country due to poverty.
Greater Accra had the second highest growth rate of 34.6 percent, while Central and Ashanti regions followed with growth rates of 32.2 and 30.8 percent respectively.
In terms of population share among the regions, Ashanti region had the highest of 19.5 percent, and then Greater Accra with 16.1 percent. Northern, Western and Brong Ahafo regions followed in that order with 10.2, 9.6 and 9.4 percent respectively.
Central and Volta regions held joint share of 8.7 percent. Upper East and West had shares of 4.3 and 2.8 percent respectively.
According to the figures, the intercensal growth rate for the country declined from 2.7 percent to 2.4 percent per annum. Growth rates in Central, Greater Accra, Ashanti and Northern regions were significantly above the national figure of 2.4 percent.
The provisional results also indicated that the sex ratio of the country was low. For every 100 females, there were 95 males.
With regard to the population density, the results showed that there was increasing pressure on land by the population. Consistently, the population pressure has been much more intense in Greater Accra and Ashanti region.
In all, there were 12,421,770 females representing 51.3 percent of the population while the male population was 11,801,661, representing 48.7 million.
Dr. Grace Bediako, speaking to the press, said the figures were subject to change and can be changed.
The actual figures, she noted, would be ready by March this year when all data would have been captured.
According to her, the provisional results of the 2010 Population and Housing Census indicated that Ghana has a growth rate of 28 percent.
The census enumeration exercise was plagued by a number of challenges but officials have assured its impact on the outcome is negligible.
The 2010 Population and Housing Census was conducted with September 26, 2010 as the reference point (Census Night). All persons found within the borders of Ghana on the Census Night, irrespective of their nationality and status, were enumerated.
By Charles Nixon Yeboah