Ghana's urban population nears 20 million as the housing shortfall persists

Ghana's urban population has reached an estimated 19.8 million, representing 58.7% of the national population, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), as rapid urbanisation intensifies demand for housing and basic services.

The figures are contained in the GSS publication Ghana in Numbers, 2025, which tracks changes in population distribution, housing conditions and access to essential services. The country became more urban than rural in 2010, when 12.55 million people lived in urban areas against 12.11 million in rural communities. The urban population rose to 17.47 million in 2021, while the rural population stood at 13.36 million that year, before the projected climb to 19.8 million in 2025.

Against that growth, Ghana's estimated housing deficit declined from about 2.8 million units in 2010 to 1.8 million in 2021, but the shortfall remains significant. The 2021 Population and Housing Census counted about 10 million dwelling units. The GSS clarified that the deficit is an estimate of the difference between the number of homes required and those available, and does not directly measure housing quality or affordability.

Housing and settlement pressures show up elsewhere in the data: 30.8% of Ghana's urban population lives in slums or informal settlements. Access to basic services has improved over the same period, with household electricity access rising from 43.8% in 2000 to 86.3% in 2021, and access to improved drinking water climbing from 60.7% to 92%. Almost one in three households still lacks access to an improved toilet.

The statistical service said the expansion of urban settlements has increased the importance of housing, roads, water supply, sanitation, schools, healthcare facilities and waste management in meeting the needs of growing communities.