Ghana's population hits 30.2 million, analysts reveal how this ‘alarming’ growth can affect the economy

This revelation was made by the National Population Council (NPC).

According to the NPC, the annual growth rate of the country’s population is 2.5 per cent as against the projected growth of 1.5 per cent. This the agency describes as alarming.

The Acting Volta Regional Population Officer of the NPC, Mr Kojo Adih who spoke to reporters disclosed that if interventions were not streamlined to meet the high need for family planning, population growth may not match available infrastructure.

He suggested that family planning methods should be made accessible and free for rural dwellers.

The rural dwellers over the years have been seen to be more fertile as a lot of women within such areas easily get pregnant.

Mr Adih said contraceptive prevalence in the eastern parts of the country (Volta Region) increased by 7.3 per cent above the national rate of 22.2 per cent but total fertility rate rose to 4.3 per cent, higher than the national average of 4.2 per cent.

According to the country’s 1994 Population Policy, by the year 2020, contraceptive prevalence must hit 50 per cent while total fertility rate hovers around 3.0 per woman.

He further indicated that Ghana had no policy on birth regulation, therefore no cap on an ideal growth rate and that the country’s youthful population could be advantageous to its economic growth.

Nonetheless, Mr Adih has urged the government to educate the citizens more as the higher growth of the population is likely to cause economic hardship in the country.