Demographic Data for Development: Ghana

The attempts of African countries to develop their economies and to democratize their political systems have led to a renewed interest in the use of demographic and socioeconomic data for decision-making and planning. This new direction calls for clear, timely, reliable, and relevant data. At the international level, initiatives such as the African Charter on Statistics, PARIS 21, and the Health Metrics Network have emerged to provide direction and technical support for strengthening initiatives and activities that harmonize measures and improve data collection processes. This report on Ghana is part of a four-country study involving Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal, and Uganda. The countries were chosen based on their upcoming censuses, identified statistical capacities, active engagement in the production of data, and participation in many of the international data initiatives. The main aim of the case studies is to provide a broad picture of the demand for and access to data, quality of available data, and the perceived supply of demographic data among policymakers and other stakeholders