The people of Ghana

The population of Ghana in 2002 was 20,244,154, giving the country a population density of 85 persons per sq km (220 per sq mi). Life expectancy at birth is estimated at 57.1 years, one of the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa.
With a birth rate of 28.08 per 1,000 and a death rate of 10.31 per 1,000, the country’s population growth rate is 1.70 percent (2002 estimate). While this current rate of increase is moderate compared with other West African nations, Ghana’s population almost tripled from 1960 to 2000.
The rapid rise in the population reflects the advances made in the provision of medical and sanitation services in the country and has resulted in a youthful population. Despite migrations to Ghana’s urban centers, 62 percent (1998) of the population resides in rural communities.
Most rural Ghanaians are farmers, herders, or fishers. In the cities, most people work in the service sector or in manufacturing. The country’s major cities are Accra, the national capital; Kumasi, the principal city of the Ashanti region; Tema, an industrial city and Ghana’s major port; Sekondi and Takoradi, the coastal twin cities; Tamale, a northern trade center; and the college town of Cape Coast.