Ghana — Country Profile
Population, GDP, natural resources, leaders and history of Ghana: the Magna Factbook country file, with its Magna Power score (--/100, ranked #-- of 195).
Last updated: October 2026
Ghana is in Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo. It covers 238,533 sq km. Terrain: mostly low plains with dissected plateau in south-central area. Climate: tropical; warm and comparatively dry along southeast coast; hot and humid in southwest; hot and dry in north.
| Capital | Accra |
|---|---|
| Population | 35,336,133 (2025 est.) |
| GDP (PPP) | $243.124 billion (2024 est.) |
| GDP per capita (PPP) | $7,100 (2024 est.) |
| Real GDP growth | 5.7% (2024 est.) |
| Inflation | 22.8% (2024 est.) |
| Unemployment | 3.1% (2024 est.) |
| Public debt | 73.4% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Exports | $25.365 billion (2023 est.) |
| Imports | $26.024 billion (2023 est.) |
| Life expectancy | 70.1 years (2024 est.) |
| Median age | 21.6 years (2025 est.) |
| Urbanization | 59.2% of total population (2023) |
| Government | presidential republic |
| Independence | 6 March 1957 (from the UK) |
| Languages | Asante 16%, Ewe 14%, Fante 11.6%, Boron (Brong) 4.9%, Dagomba 4.4%, Dangme 4.2%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.9%, Kokomba 3.5%, Akyem 3.2%, Ga 3.1%, other 31.2% (2010 est.) |
Ghana’s GDP is $243.124 billion (2024 est.) in purchasing-power-parity terms. At official exchange rates it stands at $82.825 billion (2024 est.). Real GDP grew 5.7% (2024 est.). See where Ghana ranks among all 195 countries by GDP.
POWER --/100 — The Magna Power score is our 0–100 composite of structural national power — nine components, 135 indicators. It is the Bureau's own assessment, not a mirror of World Bank or CIA figures.
Momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).
The quarter's signal was silence: no major domestic development, no external shock, no diplomatic breakthrough.
The country's course remains what it was in June — set by structural realities that no single quarter rewrites.
- What our model rewards: a current-account surplus of $1 billion — the world pays it more than it pays out; unemployment near 3.1% — work for whoever wants it
- What drags it down: a median age of 22 — a nation of children, its workforce still in the classroom; inflation running at 22.8% — eating paychecks
Gold, Timber, Diamonds, Bauxite, Manganese, Hydropower, Oil, Silver, Salt.
Energy is the physical base of economic power — what a country can generate, move and burn decides what it can build, sell and defend.
| Electricity access | 85.1% (2022 est.) |
|---|---|
| Installed capacity mix (CIA) | fossil fuels: 61.5% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 37.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.) |
| Energy consumption per capita (CIA) | 10.493 million Btu/person (2023 est.) |
| Primary energy consumption (OWID) | 103.9 TWh (2023) |
| Electricity generation (OWID) | 24.3 TWh (2023) |
| Energy per capita (OWID) | 3,075 kWh per person (2023) |
| Electricity generation mix (OWID) | Gas 59.7%, Hydro 37.8%, Oil 1.8%, Solar 0.6% (2023) |
| Low-carbon share of electricity (OWID) | 38.5% (2023) |
| Carbon intensity of electricity (OWID) | 452.9 gCO2/kWh (2023) |
Sources: CIA World Factbook, Energy section; Our World in Data (IEA/Ember), 2023.
Trade shows what the world buys from a country and what the country must buy from the world — the balance between the two is a direct measure of economic leverage.
| Exports | $25.365 billion (2023 est.) |
|---|---|
| Imports | $26.024 billion (2023 est.) |
| Trade balance (calculated) | Deficit of $659.0 million (2023), calculated from the CIA export and import figures above. |
| Key industries | mining, lumbering, light manufacturing, aluminum smelting, food processing, cement, small commercial ship building, petroleum |
Source: CIA World Factbook, Economy section.
John Mahama — President. President John Dramani MAHAMA (since 7 January 2025)
Ghana maintains 55 embassies and 7 consulates abroad, hosts 69 foreign diplomatic missions, holds permanent missions to UN New York, AU Addis Ababa. The breadth of a diplomatic network is a direct measure of diplomatic power — it shows how far a country’s influence, alliances and interests reach.
| Embassies abroad | 55 |
|---|---|
| Consulates abroad | 7 |
| Foreign missions hosted | 69 |
| Multilateral missions | UN New York, AU Addis Ababa |
Source: Consular Affairs Center, Diplomatic and Consular Networks Database and Rankings, January 2026 (Zenodo, CC BY 4.0). https://zenodo.org/records/18109976
Transport networks are economic power made physical — ports, runways, railways and pipelines decide what a country can move, sell and defend.
| Sea access | Coastal — 539 km of coastline. |
|---|---|
| Airports (total) | 11 + 7 heliports (registration prefix 9G) |
| Major seaports | Saltpond, Sekondi, Takoradi, Tema |
| Railways | 947 km |
Major airports
Kotoka International Airport (ACC) — Accra; Prempeh I International Airport (KMS) — Kumasi; Yakubu Tali International Airport (TML) — Tamale; Sunyani Airport (NYI) — Sunyani; Takoradi Airport (TKD) — Sekondi-Takoradi.
Sources: OurAirports public-domain extract (2026-10-02); per-entry Wikipedia links included; CIA World Factbook via cia_factbook snapshot (2026-09-28)
| Political system | presidential republic |
|---|---|
| Next election | No election currently scheduled. |
POWER --/100 Ranked #-- of 195 countries in the Magna Country Rankings. Full ranking breakdown for Ghana.
This profile covers the population, economy, natural resources, leaders, and history of Ghana — with the Bureau’s live national-power score of --/100, ranking #-- of 195 countries.
What is Ghana's power score?
Ghana has a Magna Power score of --/100. The score measures structural power — the proven capacity to shape events — across nine components.