Ghana’s urban population has reached approximately 19.8 million, representing 58.7 per cent of the country’s total population in 2025, as pressure on housing and basic services continues to shape settlement conditions across the country.
This is according to the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) latest flagship publication, Ghana in Numbers, 2025, which brings together population, housing and basic-service indicators to highlight the country’s changing settlement patterns.
Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, stressed the importance of using local statistics to guide development decisions, warning against relying solely on national averages.
“Use local figures, not national averages, to decide where the next cedi goes, because averages hide differences,” he said.
Ghana became more urban than rural in 2010, when 12.55 million people lived in urban areas, compared with 12.11 million in rural communities. By 2021, the urban population had increased to 17.47 million, while the rural population stood at 13.36 million.
The 2025 projection puts the urban population at approximately 19.8 million, accounting for 58.7 per cent of the national population. The growing numbers have increased the need for reliable information to guide the provision of housing, roads, water, schools, healthcare and waste management services.
On housing, the report estimates Ghana’s housing deficit at about 1.8 million units in 2021, down from approximately 2.8 million units recorded in 2010. The 2021 Population and Housing Census counted about 10 million dwelling units.
However, the GSS clarified that the housing deficit is an estimate based on the number of homes required and those available, and does not directly measure housing quality, affordability or vacant properties.
The report also revealed that the average household size had declined to 3.6 people, the lowest level recorded, a development that could increase demand for housing even as population growth slows.
Access to basic services has improved significantly over the years. The proportion of households with electricity increased from 43.8 per cent in 2000 to 86.3 per cent in 2021, while access to improved drinking water rose from 60.7 per cent to 92 per cent within the same period.
Similarly, access to improved sanitation increased from 44.8 per cent in 2010 to 69 per cent in 2022, although considerable gaps remain in some communities.
The report found that 30.8 per cent of Ghana’s urban population lives in slums or informal settlements. It further indicated that about one in seven households still has no access to electricity, while nearly one in three lacks an improved toilet facility.
The GSS said these figures demonstrate the need to consider local living conditions alongside national access rates when planning development interventions.
It noted that district-level statistics could help identify communities where housing, water, sanitation, electricity and other essential services are most needed.
Dr. Iddrisu said population statistics should guide decisions on the provision of essential infrastructure and social amenities, particularly in rapidly growing communities.
He said the data should help determine “where schools, clinics and homes must go”, emphasising the importance of using local evidence rather than national averages to allocate resources.
The Ghana in Numbers, 2025 publication provides a common reference for tracking urban growth, the estimated housing deficit, settlement conditions and access to basic services. The publication and accompanying district-level data are available through the GSS website, StatsBank, the Ghana in Numbers web portal and the GSS Stats App.
