Ghana’s population is now projected at 33.7million, representing a 9.4 percentage increase from the 2021 census figure of 30.8million, a professor at the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS), University of Ghana, Stephen Owusu Kwankye, has said.
With the population surpassing the 33 million mark, Professor Kwankye has called on policy makers to explore ways of turning it into opportunities.
He said this development presented both opportunities and challenges for the nation’s growth, and every possible means must be put in place to harness it for the good of the country.
Speaking to The Ghanaian Times via telephone in Accra, Prof. Kwankye explained that while the country’s population continues to rise, the pace of growth had slowed due to declining fertility and mortality rates.
“What is slowing is the rate of growth, not the size,” he stated, putting the current estimate at between 33 and 33.5 million as of July 3, 2025.
Prof. Kwankye explained that the key issue was not the size of the population but its composition, stressing that “A large working-age population can be a major asset if employed. But when most of them are unemployed, it becomes a burden.”
He also raised concerns about Ghana’s growing ageing population, driven by improvements in life expectancy.
He warned that with more citizens likely to live beyond retirement age, pension schemes such as the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) could come under severe strain, especially as the majority of Ghanaians in the informal sector are not enrolled in pension programmes.
“To prevent the collapse of pension systems, we need strategic investments and policy reforms that ensure sustainability,” he said, adding that older citizens would also require enhanced healthcare and social support as they age.
On governance, Prof. Kwankye called for consistency in national development planning, urging political leaders to prioritise policies that transcend partisan interests.
“We need a consistent national vision, not a cycle where each new government abandons the work of its predecessor,” he emphasised.
“Nation-building should be like constructing a skyscraper; each generation adds a floor, not demolishing the previous one,” he added.
Prof. Kwankye concluded with a call for long-term, non-partisan investment in human capital, stressing that “Ghana can only harness the benefits of its demographic structure through deliberate and sustained policies.”
Failure to do so, he warned, could expose the country to rising unemployment, pension crises, and political instability.
BY CYNTHIA ASAMPANA
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