The study by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reveals a decrease in the fertility rate from 6.4 children per woman in 1988 to 3.9 in 2022.
Regionally, fertility varies from 2.9 in Greater Accra to 6.6 in the North East. Women in the lowest wealth bracket have an average of 5.9 children, compared to the average of 2.7.
Government Statistician, Professor Samuel Annim, shared these findings during the release of the 2022 Demographic and Health Survey, providing essential data for monitoring Ghana’s population and health trends.
The survey on drinking water in Ghana found that 84% of households have access to at least basic drinking water services, including improved sources with a round-trip collection time of less than 30 minutes.
Urban households show higher access at 95%, compared to 72% in rural areas. Drinking water availability is lowest in the Northern region (68%) and highest in the Upper East and Ashanti regions (86%).
In menstrual hygiene, 88% of women aged 15 to 49 use disposable sanitary pads, while 24% of Ghanaians have access to at least basic sanitation services, and teenage pregnancy rates vary by region.
In the study, 82% of pregnancies in the three years preceding the survey resulted in live births, and 18% ended in pregnancy losses.
The neonatal mortality rate was found to be 17 deaths per 1,000 live births, with one in every 25 children in Ghana dying before the age of five.
The under-five mortality rate has significantly declined since 1988, from 155 deaths per 1,000 live births to the current rate of 40 deaths per 1,000 births.
Regarding malaria prevalence, the survey reported that nine percent of the population aged 6 to 59 tested positive for malaria by microscopy, and 17% tested positive by RDT.
The survey received funding from various organizations, including USAID, UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank, the Global Fund, KOICA, the World Health Organization, and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.
The survey included a nationally representative sample of 15,014 women aged 15 to 49 from 17,933 households and 7,044 men aged 15 to 49 from half of the selected households, with response rates of 98% for women and 97% for men.