Ghana recorded a 2.47 million increase in the number of residential structures between 2010 and 2021, representing a 72.8% rise over the 11 years, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

The number of residential structures increased from 3.39 million in 2010 to 5.86 million in 2021, reflecting significant growth in the country's housing sector.

Despite the increase, the 2021 Population and Housing Census revealed that 12.7% of dwelling units across the country were vacant, with vacancy rates higher in rural areas than in urban centres.

Separate houses accounted for the largest share of dwelling units at 63.3%, followed by compound houses, which represented 20.9%.

The census also found that nearly two-thirds (64.1%) of dwelling units had cement block or concrete outer walls, reflecting the widespread use of these materials in residential construction.

The report further examined housing conditions, including ownership arrangements, room occupancy, sources of lighting, cooking fuels, and the availability of cooking and bathing facilities.

The census also provided insights into migration patterns within Ghana and the number of citizens living abroad.

The Government Statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, announced that the number of Ghanaians registered as living abroad rose by 42,792, from 250,624 in 2010 to 293,416 in 2021, a 17.1% increase over 11 years.

He disclosed this during an appearance on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Wednesday, November 4, highlighting that Europe hosts the largest share of Ghanaians abroad, followed by the Americas and ECOWAS countries.

“About 37.6% [are in] Europe; we have America's 23.7%, ECOWAS, 23.3%, other African countries, 10%, Asia, 4.7%, and Oceania is 0.7%,” he said, referring to data from the GSS 2021 Population and Housing Census.

“So largely, we are talking about Europe and America,” he added.

The data also showed differences in net migration across the regions, based on people's region of birth.

Greater Accra recorded the highest net migration gain, with approximately 1.1 million more people moving into the region than moving out. Ashanti followed with a net gain of about 200,000, while the Western Region recorded approximately 111,000. Bono East, Western North and Ahafo also recorded net gains.

On the other hand, the Volta Region recorded the highest net migration loss, at approximately 435,000. This means that significantly more people born in the Volta Region were living in other regions than people born elsewhere who were living in the Volta Region.

Upper East recorded a net loss of about 292,000, followed by Eastern with 244,000, Upper West with 190,000 and Northern with 179,000. Other regions, including North East, Central, Oti, Savannah and Bono, also recorded net losses.

The GSS noted that the figures represent the balance of migration and not the total number of people who moved into or out of each region.

On education, the census revealed that 30.2% of persons aged six years and older were unable to read or write in any language, while 69.8% were literate in at least one language.

Illiteracy was more prevalent among females than males, with the rate among women standing at 34.4%, compared to 25.9% among men.

Literacy levels also varied considerably by location, with urban areas recording a literacy rate of 80.6% compared to 55.2% in rural areas.

Regionally, the Greater Accra Region recorded the highest literacy rate at 87.9%, while the Savannah Region had the lowest at 32.8%.