Population density per pixel at 100 metre resolution. WorldPop provides estimates of numbers of people residing in each 100x100m grid cell for every low and middle income country. Through ingegrating cencus, survey, satellite and GIS datasets in a flexible machine-learning framework, high resolution maps of population counts and densities for 2000-2020 are produced, along with accompanying metadata. DATASET: Alpha version 2010 and 2015 estimates of numbers of people per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN population division estimates (http://esa.un.org/wpp/) and remaining unadjusted. REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated persons per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Land cover based, as described in: Linard, C., Gilbert, M., Snow, R.W., Noor, A.M. and Tatem, A.J., 2012, Population distribution, settlement patterns and accessibility across Africa in 2010, PLoS ONE, 7(2): e31743. FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - AGO10adjv4.tif = Angola (AGO) population count map for 2010 (10) adjusted to match UN national estimates (adj), version 4 (v4). Population maps are updated to new versions when improved census or other input data become available. Ghana data available from WorldPop here.

Abstract

The 2010 Census was undertaken to update current information on the size, sex, age, composition and other characteristics of Ghana's population and to ascertain the specific changes in these characteristics which had taken place since the last census was conducted in 2000. The Census was expected to ensure the continuation of a time series of demographic and socio-economic benchmark data at the national and sub-national levels and enhance the capability-building programme of the Statistical Service. The main objective of the 2010 Population and Housing Census was to update the statistical information on the characteristics of the population of Ghana.

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The 2010 census covered a de-facto population count of Ghana on Census Night (26th September 2010). These were all usual residents, infants sick as well as the mentally challenged, inmates of institutions. out-door sleepers and all persons who spend census night within the boarders of Ghana, semi-stable floating population enumeration was done immediately after midnight of Census Night. Enumeration was done on Census Night of fishermen, other persons at sea and other persons in Field Camps. All types of housing structures were listed a week before the census night. All enumeration of institutional population was done a week before the Census Night

Kind of data

Census/enumeration data

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

PHC-1A: Household questionnaire - admistered to household population. This questionnaire includes modules on Household roster, Usual household members absent, Emigration, Population, Mortality, ICT, Agriculture and Housing

PHC-1A Usual Members Absent Continuation Sheet

PHC-1A Emigration Continuation Sheet

PHC-1B: Group quarter questionnaire - administered to homeless households and group quarter population. This excludes usual members absent, emigration, mortality, ICT at household level, agricultural and housing modules.

PHC-1C: Group quarter questionnaire which was administered to individual members and later transferred to PHC-1B questionnaire

PHC-3: EA Result Sheet - Captured summary information on population by sex and the number of localities in each Enumeration Area (EA).

PHC-4: Final Summary Sheet - Captured summary information on the number of residential structures, number of households, population by sex and household and non-household population and the availability of telecommunication, education, health and toilet facilities in the locality.

Abstract

Population censuses have been conducted in Ghana at approximately ten-year intervals since 1891 except in 1941, when the series was interrupted as a result of World War II but was resumed in 1948. The first post-independence census was conducted in 1960 and the next in 1970, with the expectation that a decennial census programme would be maintained. Due to circumstances beyond the control of the statistical organization, however, the third post-independence census could not be conducted until 1984. Similarly, the next census which was expected to have been conducted in 1994 was delayed. Only in 1995 was it possible to have the needed commitment to ensure the conduct of the fourth post-independence census which was scheduled for the year 2000.

The 2000 Population and Housing Census was undertaken to update current information on the size, sex, age, composition and other characteristics of Ghana's population and to ascertain the specific changes in these characteristics which had taken place since the last census was conducted in 1984. The Census was expected to ensure the continuation of a time series of demographic and socio-economic benchmark data at the national and sub-national levels and enhance the capability-building programme of the Statistical Service.

The main objective of the 2000 Population and Housing Census was to update the statistical information on the characteristics of the population of Ghana. The 2000 Population and Housing Census was the first time a full-scale housing census was conducted with a population census in one single operation.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Households
• Individuals
• Dwellings

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Consultation with Users Work on the census questionnaire started in 1998 bearing in mind the data needs of the country. A simple questionnaire was sent to the ministries, relevant government departments, research institutions, relevant departments in the universities, private business associations and other users seeking information on the following: · whether the organization had used any previous census data · the specific census data used · what use the census data were put · any data that were needed but had not been provided in previous censuses · general comments on population censuses. Response to the questionnaire was encouraging; some respondents sent in the completed forms while others came over to discuss their data needs.

Selection of Topics Selecting topics for inclusion in the questionnaire involved the review and consideration of the following: · topics covered in the 1984 population census, · recommended topics from the United Nations Principles and Recommendations for the 2000 round of Population and Housing Censuses, · data requests and suggestions from users based on the answers to the questionnaire sent to them, · list of users' requests compiled by the Statistical Service over a period of time.

A number of meetings were held at both the Census Secretariat and the Technical Advisory Committee levels to discuss the topics and requests. Decisions on topics for inclusion were based on the relevance of topics and the data needs of the country as well as practical considerations of application of concepts.

The final questionnaire consisted of 15 questions on housing characteristics and 20 questions on population covering the following areas: · household characteristics · geographical location and internal migration · demographic and social characteristics · economic characteristics · literacy and education · fertility and mortality.

All the population topics investigated in 1970 and 1984 censuses were maintained, because they were considered as still relevant to the country's data needs, especially in terms of maintaining a time series of socio-economic data.

The questionaires were published in English.

Cleaning operations

The Census data editing was implemented at three levels:

1. Field editing by interviewers and supervisors
2. Office editing and coding
3. Data cleaning and imputation

Data editing was partly manual and partly automatic.

Editing of the census data involved correcting errors from the field and those introduced during the capturing process. Both Structural Edits and Within Record Edits were used to clean the census data.

a) Structural Edits

• Structure edits check coverage and relationships between different units: persons, households, housing units, enumeration areas, etc. Specifically, they checked that: · all households and collective quarters records within an enumeration area were present and were in the proper order; · all occupied housing units have person records, but vacant units have no person records; · households have neither duplicate person records, nor missing person records; · enumeration areas have neither duplicate nor missing housing records.

• Each EA have the right geographic codes (region, district, locality, EA number, etc.)

• Every housing unit in an EA is entered and every record has a valid EA code

The Structural edit looked at the following situations:

· Geography edits · Hierarchy of records · Correspondence between housing and population records · Editing relationships in a household · Family nuclei

b) Within Record Edits: This consisted of validity checks and consistency edits.

· Validity checks: were performed to see if the values of individual variables are plausible or lie with a reasonable range.

· Consistency edits were performed to ensure that there is coherence between two or more variables.

The Top-down editing approach, which starts by editing top priority variables, (such as age, sex, etc.) and moves sequentially through all variables in decreasing priority was used to edit the census data.

The Hot Deck or Dynamic Imputation was also used for both missing data and inconsistent/invalid items.

The Census Secretariat carefully developed Editing and Imputation rules with written sets of consistency rules and corrections. These rules were translated into three CONCOR editing applications (Pop-Edit.exe, Hse-Edit.exe and Fertility.exe), which were used to 'clean' the data. This was done at the Regional level.

Data appraisal

A post Enumeration Survey (PES) was conducted to assess the extent of coverage and content error.

Analysis unit

Persons, households, and dwellings

UNITS IDENTIFIED: - Dwellings: yes - Vacant Units: Yes - Households: yes - Individuals: yes - Group quarters: yes

UNIT DESCRIPTIONS: - Dwellings: A structurally separate and independent place of abode. It could be a building or some form of space or shelter arranged for human habitation which was occupied at the time of the Census (e.g. a hut or group of huts). It may contain one or more households. - Households: A household consists of a person or a group of persons, who live together in the same house or compound, share the same house-keeping arrangements and are catered for as one unit. It is important to remember that members of a household are not necessarily related (by blood or marriage) because nonrelatives (e.g. house helps) may form part of a household. - Group quarters: Institutions include educational Institutions such as boarding schools, universities; seminaries and convents; children's homes, orphanages, nurseries, and hostels (e.g. Y.W.C.A.); hospitals, including mental hospitals, maternity homes, divine healers' and herbalists' establishments, rehabilitation centers, and similar institutions for the physically and mentally handicapped; prisons, including borstal institutions, remand homes and industrial schools; service barracks, army camps, military academies, police training schools and colleges.

Universe

All persons in households and all living quarters in Ghana at midnight of Census Night Floating population: Outdoor sleepers, persons who on census night were travelling in lorries, trains, or on foot, persons who spent census night in hotels, rest houses, transit quarters, road camps and labour transit camps, soldiers on field exercise, hunting and fishing groups, beggars, and vagrants (mentally sick or otherwise).

Kind of data

Population and Housing Census [hh/popcen]

Sampling procedure

MICRODATA SOURCE: Ghana Statistical Service

SAMPLE SIZE (person records): 1894133.

SAMPLE DESIGN: Systematic sample of every tenth private dwelling. Drawn by the IPUMS from 100% microdata. Floating population: Outdoor sleepers, persons who on census night were travelling in lorries, trains, or on foot, persons who spent census night in hotels, rest houses, transit quarters, road camps and labour transit camps, soldiers on field exercise, hunting and fishing groups, beggars, and vagrants (mentally sick or otherwise).

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

A single form requested information about dwellings, households and individuals.

Ghana Population: Economically Active: 15 Years and Above: Male data was reported at 5,520.088 Person th in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 5,389.506 Person th for 2011. Ghana Population: Economically Active: 15 Years and Above: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 4,885.475 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2012, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 5,520.088 Person th in 2012 and a record low of 4,170.606 Person th in 2000. Ghana Population: Economically Active: 15 Years and Above: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ghana Statistical Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ghana – Table GH.G003: Population: Economically Active: by Sex and Age.

IPUMS-International is an effort to inventory, preserve, harmonize, and disseminate census microdata from around the world. The project has collected the world's largest archive of publicly available census samples. The data are coded and documented consistently across countries and over time to facillitate comparative research. IPUMS-International makes these data available to qualified researchers free of charge through a web dissemination system. The IPUMS project is a collaboration of the Minnesota Population Center, National Statistical Offices, and international data archives. Major funding is provided by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Additional support is provided by the University of Minnesota Office of the Vice President for Research, the Minnesota Population Center, and Sun Microsystems.

In 2020, *** percent of the total population in Ghana was made up of migrants. The share of international migrants in the country has remained stable since 2005, after increasing from *** percent in 2000. Overall, international migrants in Ghana were mostly between the ages of 20 and 64 years.

WorldPop produces different types of gridded population count datasets, depending on the methods used and end application. An overview of the data can be found in Tatem et al, and a description of the modelling methods used found in Stevens et al. The 'Global per country 2000-2020' datasets represent the outputs from a project focused on construction of consistent 100m resolution population count datasets for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020. These efforts necessarily involved some shortcuts for consistency. The 'individual countries' datasets represent older efforts to map populations for each country separately, using a set of tailored geospatial inputs and differing methods and time periods. The 'whole continent' datasets are mosaics of the individual countries datasets

WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1134076). https://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/WP00645

WorldPop produces different types of gridded population count datasets, depending on the methods used and end application. Please make sure you have read our Mapping Populations overview page before choosing and downloading a dataset.


Bespoke methods used to produce datasets for specific individual countries are available through the WorldPop Open Population Repository (WOPR) link below. These are 100m resolution gridded population estimates using customized methods ("bottom-up" and/or "top-down") developed for the latest data available from each country. They can also be visualised and explored through the woprVision App.
The remaining datasets in the links below are produced using the "top-down" method, with either the unconstrained or constrained top-down disaggregation method used. Please make sure you read the Top-down estimation modelling overview page to decide on which datasets best meet your needs. Datasets are available to download in Geotiff and ASCII XYZ format at a resolution of 3 and 30 arc-seconds (approximately 100m and 1km at the equator, respectively):

- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 ( 1km resolution ): Consistent 1km resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020.
- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020.
- Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019)
-Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020 UN adjusted ( 1km resolution ): Consistent 1km resolution population count datasets created using unconstrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for each year 2000-2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019).
-Unconstrained global mosaics 2000-2020 ( 1km resolution ): Mosaiced 1km resolution versions of the "Unconstrained individual countries 2000-2020" datasets.
-Constrained individual countries 2020 ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using constrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for 2020.
-Constrained individual countries 2020 UN adjusted ( 100m resolution ): Consistent 100m resolution population count datasets created using constrained top-down methods for all countries of the World for 2020 and adjusted to match United Nations national population estimates (UN 2019).

Older datasets produced for specific individual countries and continents, using a set of tailored geospatial inputs and differing "top-down" methods and time periods are still available for download here: Individual countries and Whole Continent.

Data for earlier dates is available directly from WorldPop.

WorldPop (www.worldpop.org - School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton; Department of Geography and Geosciences, University of Louisville; Departement de Geographie, Universite de Namur) and Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), Columbia University (2018). Global High Resolution Population Denominators Project - Funded by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1134076). https://dx.doi.org/10.5258/SOTON/WP00645

Ghana Population: Economically Active: 15 Years and Above: Agricultural: Male data was reported at 2,339.597 Person th in 2012. This records an increase from the previous number of 2,318.011 Person th for 2011. Ghana Population: Economically Active: 15 Years and Above: Agricultural: Male data is updated yearly, averaging 2,246.342 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2012, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 2,339.597 Person th in 2012 and a record low of 2,072.957 Person th in 2000. Ghana Population: Economically Active: 15 Years and Above: Agricultural: Male data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ghana Statistical Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ghana – Table GH.G003: Population: Economically Active: by Sex and Age.

As of March 24, 2025, Ghana had slightly around ****** prisoners, slightly decreasing from over ****** in full year 2022. The number of imprisoned people in the country fluctuated during the observed period, but grew overall.

Raw data from population census in the year 2000 for Upper East Region. Per district: Bawku West, Bawku East, Bongo, Builsa.

As of March 2025, the prison population rate in Ghana stood at 41 per 100,000 inhabitants. This indicated a slight decrease from three years earlier, when the rate stood at 45 per 100,000 national population. Overall, Ghana counted more than 13,900 people imprisoned in 2025.

Ghana Population: Non Agricultural data was reported at 19,761.057 Person th in 2010. This records an increase from the previous number of 18,555.492 Person th for 2009. Ghana Population: Non Agricultural data is updated yearly, averaging 17,587.784 Person th from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2010, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19,761.057 Person th in 2010 and a record low of 14,328.028 Person th in 2000. Ghana Population: Non Agricultural data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ghana Statistical Service. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ghana – Table GH.G001: Population.

Population density per pixel at 100 metre resolution. WorldPop provides estimates of numbers of people residing in each 100x100m grid cell for every low and middle income country. Through ingegrating cencus, survey, satellite and GIS datasets in a flexible machine-learning framework, high resolution maps of population counts and densities for 2000-2020 are produced, along with accompanying metadata. DATASET: Alpha version 2010 and 2015 estimates of numbers of people per grid square, with national totals adjusted to match UN population division estimates (http://esa.un.org/wpp/) and remaining unadjusted. REGION: Africa SPATIAL RESOLUTION: 0.000833333 decimal degrees (approx 100m at the equator) PROJECTION: Geographic, WGS84 UNITS: Estimated persons per grid square MAPPING APPROACH: Land cover based, as described in: Linard, C., Gilbert, M., Snow, R.W., Noor, A.M. and Tatem, A.J., 2012, Population distribution, settlement patterns and accessibility across Africa in 2010, PLoS ONE, 7(2): e31743. FORMAT: Geotiff (zipped using 7-zip (open access tool): www.7-zip.org) FILENAMES: Example - AGO10adjv4.tif = Angola (AGO) population count map for 2010 (10) adjusted to match UN national estimates (adj), version 4 (v4). Population maps are updated to new versions when improved census or other input data become available. Ghana data available from WorldPop here.

As of 2025, Ghana had *** female prisoners in the country, representing *** percent of the overall prison population. This was also a slight increase from the previous year. Within the period observed, the peak of females serving their prison term in Ghana was reached in 2005, at ***.

The number of mobile-cellular subscriptions in Ghana increased from 2000 to 2023. In 2023, the number of mobile subscriptions in Ghana was at ** million, that is a decrease of around ***** million from the value registered the year before which was at **** million.

Abstract

The 2008 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) is a national survey covering all ten regions of the country. The survey was designed to collect, analyse, and disseminate information on housing and household characteristics, education, maternal health and child health, nutrition, family planning, gender, and knowledge and behaviour related to HIV/AIDS. It included, for the first time, a module on domestic violence as one of the topics of investigation.

The 2008 GDHS is designed to provide data to monitor the population and health situation in Ghana. This is the fifth round in a series of national level population and health surveys conducted in Ghana under the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys programme. Specifically, the 2008 GDHS has the primary objective of providing current and reliable information on fertility levels, marriage, sexual activity, fertility preferences, awareness and use of family planning methods, breastfeeding practices, nutritional status of women and young children, childhood mortality, maternal and child health, domestic violence, and awareness and behaviour regarding AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The information collected in the 2008 GDHS will provide updated estimates of basic demographic and health indicators covered in the earlier rounds of 1988, 1993, 1998, and 2003 surveys.

The long-term objective of the survey includes strengthening the technical capacity of major government institutions, including the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). The 2008 GDHS also provides comparable data for long-term trend analysis in Ghana, since the surveys were implemented by the same organisation, using similar data collection procedures. It also adds to the international database on demographic and health–related information for research purposes.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Children under five years
• Women age 15-49
• Men age 15-59

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The 2008 GDHS was a household-based survey, implemented in a representative probability sample of more than 12,000 households selected nationwide. This sample was selected in such a manner as to allow for separate estimates of key indicators for each of the 10 regions in Ghana, as well as for urban and rural areas separately.

The 2008 GDHS utilised a two-stage sample design. The first stage involved selecting sample points or clusters from an updated master sampling frame constructed from the 2000 Ghana Population and Housing Census. A total of 412 clusters were selected from the master sampling frame. The clusters were selected using systematic sampling with probability proportional to size. A complete household listing operation was conducted from June to July 2008 in all the selected clusters to provide a sampling frame for the second stage selection of households.

The second stage of selection involved the systematic sampling of 30 of the households listed in each cluster. The primary objectives of the second stage of selection were to ensure adequate numbers of completed individual interviews to provide estimates for key indicators with acceptable precision and to provide a sample large enough to identify adequate numbers of under-five deaths to provide data on causes of death.

Data were not collected in one of the selected clusters due to security reasons, resulting in a final sample of 12,323 selected households. Weights were calculated taking into consideration cluster, household, and individual non-responses, so the representations were not distorted.

Note: See detailed description of sample design in APPENDIX A of the survey report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Three questionnaires were used for the 2008 GDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Women’s Questionnaire and the Men’s Questionnaire. The content of these questionnaires was based on model questionnaires developed by the MEASURE DHS programme and the 2003 GDHS Questionnaires.

A questionnaire design workshop organised by GSS was held in Accra to obtain input from the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders on the design of the 2008 GDHS Questionnaires. Based on the questionnaires used for the 2003 GDHS, the workshop and several other informal meetings with various local and international organisations, the DHS model questionnaires were modified to reflect relevant issues in population, family planning, domestic violence, HIV/AIDS, malaria and other health issues in Ghana. These questionnaires were translated from English into three major local languages, namely Akan, Ga, and Ewe. The questionnaires were pre-tested in July 2008. The lessons learnt from the pre-test were used to finalise the survey instruments and logistical arrangements.

The Household Questionnaire was used to list all the usual members and visitors in the selected households. Some basic information was collected on the characteristics of each person listed, including age, sex, education, and relationship to the head of the household. The main purpose of the Household Questionnaire was to identify women and men who were eligible for the individual interview. The Household Questionnaire collected information on characteristics of the household’s dwelling unit, such as the source of water, type of toilet facilities, materials used for the floor and roof of the house, ownership of various durable goods, and ownership and use of mosquito nets. The Household Questionnaire was also used to record height and weight measurements, consent for, and the results of, haemoglobin measurements for women age 15-49 and children under five years. The haemoglobin testing procedure is described in detail in the next section.

The Household Questionnaire was also used to record all deaths of household members that occurred since January 2003. Based on this information, in each household that reported the death of a child under age five years since January 2005,3 field editors administered a Verbal Autopsy Questionnaire. Data on child mortality based on the verbal autopsy will be presented in a separate publication.

The Women’s Questionnaire was used to collect information from all women age 15-49 in half of selected households. These women were asked questions about themselves and their children born in the five years since 2003 on the following topics: education, residential history, media exposure, reproductive history, knowledge and use of family planning methods, fertility preferences, antenatal and delivery care, breastfeeding and infant and young child feeding practices, vaccinations and childhood illnesses, marriage and sexual activity, woman’s work and husband’s background characteristics, childhood mortality, awareness and behaviour about AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), awareness of TB and other health issues, and domestic violence.

The Women’s Questionnaire included a series of questions to obtain information on women’s exposure to malaria during their most recent pregnancy in the five years preceding the survey and the treatment for malaria. In addition, women were asked if any of their children born in the five years preceding the survey had fever, whether these children were treated for malaria and the type of treatment they received.

The Men’s Questionnaire was administered to all men age 15-59 living in half of the selected households in the GDHS sample. The Men’s Questionnaire collected much of the same information found in the Women’s Questionnaire, but was shorter because it did not contain a reproductive history or questions on maternal and child health or nutrition.

Cleaning operations

The processing of the GDHS results began shortly after the fieldwork commenced. Completed questionnaires were returned periodically from the field to the GSS office in Accra, where they were entered and edited by data processing personnel who were specially trained for this task. Data were entered using CSPro, a programme specially developed for use in DHS surveys. All data were entered twice (100 percent verification). The concurrent processing of the data was a distinct advantage for data quality, because GSS had the opportunity to advise field teams of problems detected during data entry. The data entry and editing phase of the survey was completed in February 2009.

Response rate

A total of 12,323 households were selected in the sample, of which 11,913 were occupied at the time of the fieldwork. This difference between selected and occupied households occurred mainly because some of the selected structures were found to be vacant or destroyed. The number of occupied households successfully interviewed was 11,778, yielding a household response rate of 99 percent.

In the households selected for individual interview in the survey (50 percent of the total 2008 GDHS sample), a total of 5,096 eligible women were identified; interviews were completed with 4,916 of these women, yielding a response rate of 97 percent. In the same households, a total of 4,769 eligible men were identified and interviews were completed with 4,568 of these men, yielding a response rate of 96 percent. The response rates are slightly lower among men than women.

The principal reason for non-response among both eligible women and men was the failure to find individuals at home despite repeated visits to the household. The lower response rate for men reflects the more frequent and longer absences of men from the household

Note: See summarized response rates by place of residence in Table 1.1 of the survey report.

Sampling error

Abstract

The Afrobarometer is a comparative series of public attitude surveys that assess African citizen's attitudes to democracy and governance, markets, and civil society, among other topics.

The 12 country datasetis a combined dataset for the 12 African countries surveyed during round 1 of the survey, conducted between 1999-2000 (Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Mali, Malawi, Namibia, Nigeria South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe), plus data from the old Southern African Democracy Barometer, and similar surveys done in West and East Africa.

Geographic coverage

The Round 1 Afrobarometer surveys have national coverage for the following countries: Botswana, Ghana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mali, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Analysis unit

Individuals

Universe

The sample universe for Afrobarometer surveys includes all citizens of voting age within the country. In other words, we exclude anyone who is not a citizen and anyone who has not attained this age (usually 18 years) on the day of the survey. Also excluded are areas determined to be either inaccessible or not relevant to the study, such as those experiencing armed conflict or natural disasters, as well as national parks and game reserves. As a matter of practice, we have also excluded people living in institutionalized settings, such as students in dormitories and persons in prisons or nursing homes.

What to do about areas experiencing political unrest? On the one hand we want to include them because they are politically important. On the other hand, we want to avoid stretching out the fieldwork over many months while we wait for the situation to settle down. It was agreed at the 2002 Cape Town Planning Workshop that it is difficult to come up with a general rule that will fit all imaginable circumstances. We will therefore make judgments on a case-by-case basis on whether or not to proceed with fieldwork or to exclude or substitute areas of conflict. National Partners are requested to consult Core Partners on any major delays, exclusions or substitutions of this sort.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

Afrobarometer uses national probability samples designed to meet the following criteria. Samples are designed to generate a sample that is a representative cross-section of all citizens of voting age in a given country. The goal is to give every adult citizen an equal and known chance of being selected for an interview. They achieve this by:

• using random selection methods at every stage of sampling; • sampling at all stages with probability proportionate to population size wherever possible to ensure that larger (i.e., more populated) geographic units have a proportionally greater probability of being chosen into the sample.

The sampling universe normally includes all citizens age 18 and older. As a standard practice, we exclude people living in institutionalized settings, such as students in dormitories, patients in hospitals, and persons in prisons or nursing homes. Occasionally, we must also exclude people living in areas determined to be inaccessible due to conflict or insecurity. Any such exclusion is noted in the technical information report (TIR) that accompanies each data set.

Sample size and design Samples usually include either 1,200 or 2,400 cases. A randomly selected sample of n=1200 cases allows inferences to national adult populations with a margin of sampling error of no more than +/-2.8% with a confidence level of 95 percent. With a sample size of n=2400, the margin of error decreases to +/-2.0% at 95 percent confidence level.

The sample design is a clustered, stratified, multi-stage, area probability sample. Specifically, we first stratify the sample according to the main sub-national unit of government (state, province, region, etc.) and by urban or rural location.

Area stratification reduces the likelihood that distinctive ethnic or language groups are left out of the sample. Afrobarometer occasionally purposely oversamples certain populations that are politically significant within a country to ensure that the size of the sub-sample is large enough to be analysed. Any oversamples is noted in the TIR.

Sample stages Samples are drawn in either four or five stages:

Stage 1: In rural areas only, the first stage is to draw secondary sampling units (SSUs). SSUs are not used in urban areas, and in some countries they are not used in rural areas. See the TIR that accompanies each data set for specific details on the sample in any given country. Stage 2: We randomly select primary sampling units (PSU). Stage 3: We then randomly select sampling start points. Stage 4: Interviewers then randomly select households. Stage 5: Within the household, the interviewer randomly selects an individual respondent. Each interviewer alternates in each household between interviewing a man and interviewing a woman to ensure gender balance in the sample.

To keep the costs and logistics of fieldwork within manageable limits, eight interviews are clustered within each selected PSU.

Data weights For some national surveys, data are weighted to correct for over or under-sampling or for household size. "Withinwt" should be turned on for all national -level descriptive statistics in countries that contain this weighting variable. It is included as the last variable in the data set, with details described in the codebook. For merged data sets, "Combinwt" should be turned on for cross-national comparisons of descriptive statistics. Note: this weighting variable standardizes each national sample as if it were equal in size.

Further information on sampling protocols, including full details of the methodologies used for each stage of sample selection, can be found at https://afrobarometer.org/surveys-and-methods/sampling-principles

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Because Afrobarometer Round 1 emerged out of several different survey research efforts, survey instruments were not standardized across all countries, there are a number of features of the questionnaires that should be noted, as follows: • In most cases, the data set only includes those questions/variables that were asked in nine or more countries. Complete Round 1 data sets for each individual country have already been released, and are available from ICPSR or from the Afrobarometer website at www.afrobarometer.org. • In the seven countries that originally formed the Southern Africa Barometer (SAB) - Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe - a standardized questionnaire was used, so question wording and response categories are the generally the same for all of these countries. The questionnaires in Mali and Tanzania were also essentially identical (in the original English version). Ghana, Uganda and Nigeria each had distinct questionnaires. • This merged dataset combines, into a single variable, responses from across these different countries where either identical or very similar questions were used, or where conceptually equivalent questions can be found in at least nine of the different countries. For each variable, the exact question text from each of the countries or groups of countries ("SAB" refers to the Southern Africa Barometer countries) is listed. • Response options also varied on some questions, and where applicable, these differences are also noted.

Abstract

The 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) is a nationwide sample survey carried out to provide information on population, family planning, maternal and child health, nutrition, childhood mortality, and AIDS and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This is the fourth round in a series of national-level population and health surveys conducted in Ghana under the worldwide Demographic and Health Surveys Program, others being in 1988, 1993, and 1998. This latest GDHS included, for the first time, testing of blood samples to provide national rates of anaemia and HIV. All four demographic and health surveys have been implemented by the Ghana Statistical Service, in close collaboration with other stakeholders.

The principal objective of the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) is to provide data to monitor the population and health situation in the country. The primary objective is to provide current and reliable data on fertility and family planning behaviour, infant and child mortality, breastfeeding, antenatal care, children’s immunisations and childhood diseases, nutritional status of mothers and children, use of maternal and child health services, and awareness and behaviour regarding AIDS and other STIs. New features of the 2003 GDHS include the collection of information on female and male circumcision, information on malaria and ownership and use of insecticide-treated bed nets, and haemoglobin and HIV testing.

The long-term objective of the survey includes strengthening the technical capacity of major government institutions, including the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). The 2003 GDHS also provides comparable data for long-term trend analyses in Ghana, since the surveys were implemented by the same organisation, using similar data collection procedures. It also contributes to the ever-growing international database on demographic and health-related information.

Geographic coverage

National

Analysis unit

• Household
• Children under five years
• Women age 15-49
• Men age 15-59

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The sample for the 2003 GDHS covered the population residing in private households in the country. A representative probability sample of about 6,600 households was selected nationwide. The list of enumeration areas (EAs) from the 2000 Ghana Population and Housing Census was used as a frame for the sample. The frame was first stratified into the 10 administrative regions in the country, then into rural and urban EAs. The sample was selected in such a manner as to allow for separate estimates for key indicators for the country as a whole, for each of the 10 regions in Ghana, as well as for urban and rural areas separately.

The 2003 GDHS used a two-stage stratified sample design. At the first stage of sampling, 412 sample points or EAs were selected, each with probability proportional to size, based on the number of households. A complete household listing exercise was carried out between May and June 2003 within all the selected EAs (clusters). The second stage of selection involved systematic sampling of households from this list. The sample selected per EA varied by region depending on the population size. Fifteen households per EA were selected in all the regions except in Brong Ahafo, Upper East, and Upper West regions, where 20 households per EA were selected, and in the Northern region, where 16 households per EA were selected. The objective of this exercise was to ensure adequate numbers of complete interviews to provide estimates for important population characteristics with acceptable statistical precision. Due to the disproportional number of EAs and different sample sizes selected per EA among regions, the household sample for the 2003 GDHS is not selfweighted at the national level.

Note: See detailed description of sample design in APPENDIX A of the survey report.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

Three questionnaires were used for the 2003 GDHS: the Household Questionnaire, the Women’s Questionnaire, and the Men’s Questionnaire. The contents of these questionnaires were based on the model questionnaires developed by the MEASURE DHS+ programme and were designed to provide information needed by health and family planning programme managers and policymakers. The questionnaires were adapted to the Ghanaian situation and a number of questions pertaining to ongoing health, HIV, and family planning programmes were added. These questionnaires were translated from English into the five major languages (Akan, Nzema, Ewe, Ga, and Dagbani).

The Household Questionnaire was used to list all the usual members and visitors in the selected households. Information was collected on the characteristics of each person listed, including the age, sex, education, and relationship to the head of household. The main purpose of the Household Questionnaire was to identify eligible women and men for the individual interview. The Household Questionnaire collected information on characteristics of the household’s dwelling unit, such as the source of drinking water, type of toilet facilities, flooring materials, ownership of various consumer goods, and ownership and use of mosquito nets. It was also used to record height and weight measurements of women 15-49 and children under the age of 5, and to record the respondents’ consent to the haemoglobin and HIV testing.

The Women’s Questionnaire was used to collect information from all women age 15-49. These women were asked questions on the following topics: respondent’s background characteristics, such as education, residential history, media exposure, knowledge and use of family planning methods, fertility preferences, antenatal and delivery care, breastfeeding and infant and child feeding practices, vaccinations and childhood illnesses, childhood mortality, marriage and sexual activity, woman’s work and husband’s background characteristics, and awareness and behaviour regarding AIDS and other STIs.

The Men’s Questionnaire was administered to all men age 15-59 in every household in the GDHS sample. The Men’s Questionnaire collected much of the same information found in the Women’s Questionnaire, but was shorter because it did not contain a reproductive history or questions on maternal and child health and nutrition.

Cleaning operations

The processing of the GDHS results began shortly after the fieldwork commenced. Completed questionnaires were returned periodically from the field to the GSS headquarters in Accra, where they were entered and edited by data processing personnel who were specially trained for this task. Twelve data entry operators from GSS were trained for one week on data entry procedures using CSPro. All data were entered twice (100 percent verification). In addition, tables were run periodically to monitor the quality of the data collected. The concurrent processing of the data was an advantage for data quality because field coordinators were able to advise teams of problems detected during the data entry. The data entry and editing phase of the survey was completed in mid-December 2003.

Response rate

Response rates are important because high nonresponse may affect the reliability of the results. A total of 6,628 households were selected in the sample, of which 6,333 were occupied at the time of fieldwork. The difference between selected and occupied households is largely due to structures being vacant or destroyed. Successful interviews were conducted in 6,251 households, yielding a response rate of 99 percent.

In the households interviewed in the survey, a total of 5,949 eligible women age 15-49 were identified; interviews were completed with 5,691 of these women, yielding a response rate of 96 percent. In the same households, a total of 5,345 eligible men age 15-59 were identified and interviews were completed with 5,015 of these men, yielding a male response rate of 94 percent. The response rates are slightly lower for the urban than rural sample, and among men than women. The principal reason for non-response among both eligible women and men was the failure to find individuals at home despite repeated visits to the household. The lower response rate for men reflects the more frequent and longer absences of men from the household, principally related to their employment and life style.

Response rates for the HIV testing component were lower than those for the interviews. Details of the HIV testing response rates are discussed in Chapter 13 of the final GDHS report which is presented in this documentation.

Note: See summarized response rates by place of residence in Table 1.2 of the survey report.

Sampling error estimates

The estimates from a sample survey are affected by two types of errors: (1) non-sampling errors, and (2) sampling errors. Non-sampling errors are the results of mistakes made in implementing data collection and data processing, such as failure to locate and interview the correct household, misunderstanding of the questions on the part of either the interviewer or the respondent, and data entry errors. Although numerous efforts were made during the implementation of the 2003 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) to minimize this type of error, non-sampling errors are impossible to avoid and difficult to evaluate statistically.

Sampling errors, on the other hand, can be evaluated statistically. The sample of respondents selected in the 2003 GDHS is only one of many samples that could have been selected from the same population, using the same design and expected size. Each of