Introduction
Abstract
The 2010 census data have been used to provide in-depth analyses of aspects of the population of Ghana in fourteen substantive chapters. Where possible, the data from the 2010 PHC are compared to those from the earlier post-independent censuses. The chapter on evaluation of the quality and quantity of data from the 2010 PHC reminds readers of the importance of the assessment of demographic data. Such an exercise helps to put confidence in the data used for the rest of the analysis. The nature of the changes in numbers, distribution, growth and re-distribution of the population has implications for planning to achieve national development. Responding to these aspects of the population will need a paradigm shift in thinking and approaches to planning. For instance, there is the need to create an economy which will provide employment opportunities for the youth who will be predominantly in urban areas due to natural change and migration from rural to urban areas. With the increasing expectation of life as demonstrated in Chapter Nine (Mortality) and the declining fertility in Chapter Eight, the composition and structure of the population is going to change. For instance, the proportion of the aged population will increase in both proportion and absolute numbers. The changing age structure of the population has in-built dynamics and will have implications for the economy, social relations, housing, education, health and welfare of the population especially that of elderly persons. The country will need to respond to the changes in the population. Information and Communication Technologies are transforming interactions in the country. The penetration of mobile phones, especially among rural and agricultural populations, provides opportunities for information sharing and education. For instance, the use of mobile phones for marketing agricultural produce and the on-going m-health programmes of the Ministry of Health provide some examples of the potential of these now tools for socio economic development. What also emerges is the rural-urban divide in the ownership of computers in the country. This is one aspect which will define the nature of socio-economic development in the next decades. The processes of population redistribution particularly inter-regional migration and rural urban migration, the process of urbanization, its magnitude and determinants will have implications for future development. These changes, with implications for access to safe, adequate and affordable shelter, education and occupation, present challenges to strategies for improving living conditions. The results from the census and the analyses should provide basic information for assessing aspects of the education, health and sanitation components of the Millennium Development Goals. Finally, there is the need to endeavour that the decennial pattern of census taking in years ending in ‘zero’ is maintained to ensure the availability and comparability of censuses for planning in the country.
Cite this
APA
Tawiah, E. O., Codjoe, S. N. A., Anarfi, J. K., & Fayorsey, C. K. (2013). Introduction. In Ghana Statistical Service (Eds.), 2010 Population and Housing Census. National Analytical Report (pp. 1–5). Ghana Statistical Services.
Harvard
Tawiah, E. O. et al. (2013) ‘Introduction’, in Ghana Statistical Service (eds) 2010 Population and Housing Census. National Analytical Report. Ghana Statistical Services, pp. 1–5.
BibTeX
@incollection{tawiah2013introduction,
author = {Tawiah, E.O. and Codjoe, S.N.A. and Anarfi, J.K. and Fayorsey, C.K.},
editor = {Ghana Statistical Service},
title = {Introduction},
booktitle = {2010 Population and Housing Census. National Analytical Report},
year = {2013},
pages = {1--5},
publisher = {Ghana Statistical Services}
}