The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has introduced StatsBank, an online database containing detailed census statistics from the 2021 population and housing census (PHC).
StatsBank offers users access to over 350 million unique statistics and allows them to create customized tables and maps for research and educational purposes.
According to Dr. Faustina Frempong-Ainguah, the Deputy Government Statistician, StatsBank will serve as a repository for macroeconomic data and will expand to include data from other censuses and surveys in the future, facilitating the resolution of developmental challenges.
To promote the use of census data for policy-relevant research, GSS, in collaboration with its partners, is organizing a hackathon challenge for university students.
This initiative aims to encourage students and the research community to utilize census information for developmental purposes. The championship event for the top participants will take place on October 5th and 6th, 2023.
The launch of GSS StatsBank and the Hackathon challenge occurred at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale. Professor Seidu Al-Hassan, the Vice Chancellor of UDS, emphasized the significance of data and encouraged students to prioritize the use of StatsBank.
He commended GSS for this initiative, believing it will empower individuals and organizations to make well-informed decisions in the realm of development. Additionally, he expressed optimism about UDS’s prospects in the hackathon challenge, in which the institution is participating.