The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) will release the provisional results of the 2021 Population and Housing Census today, Wednesday, September 22, 2021 at 10am.

The release of the report, according the Ministry, for Information is an important milestone in the PHC dissemination strategy. According to the ministry provisional results aim to promote wide usage of census data for research, policy, and planning.

It further explained that it is also intended to share lessons learned from the “implementation process with national and international partners”.

The Ghana Statistical Service earlier announced the timelines for releasing the 2021 Population and Housing Census reports. It said the reports will be released within a two-year period and will be made available to the public for free via a new website; www.census2021.statsghana.gov.gh.

Prior to this, a statement signed by the information minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, he explained that a census is a priority development activity that will generate updated demographic.

He further stated that the provisional results will also guide policy planning and monitoring progress towards development goals including the fulfilment of SDG and Africa’s Agenda 2063.

Focus of provisional results

Mr Oppong Nkrumah explained that the provisional results highlight findings focused on “population size and sex composition, population density and structure by region”.

Following this, he urged various stakeholders to participate in the big reveal which is scheduled to take place virtually as well on some selected platforms.

“The result release is a major matter of national interest, and we encourage the media, ministries, departments and agencies, MMDAs and all other stakeholders to participate. The release will be held at Bediako Conference Hall, GNAT Secretariat (Teachers Hall) in Accra”.
Mr Kojo Oppong Nkrumah

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has since it commenced the exercise on Monday, June 28 extended the deadline for the 2021 Population and Housing Census a number of times with the first occurring on July 18.

Essentially, like the others it was to allow enumerators complete work in the outstanding enumeration areas and was expected to end today, July 11, 2021, in all sixteen (16) regions of the country.

GSS insists that this year’s counting is crucial for the nation in decision-making for development of the economy, especially due to the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.

Census to boost economy

Government Statistician, Prof. Samuel Annim Kobina, earlier stated that the Population and Housing Census (PHC) is going to boost the local economy in terms of investment being directed into such areas.

According to him, the census exercise ensures that everything takes place at the local level. A direct consequence, he revealed, will be to initiate some level of vibrancy in some of the deprived areas in the country.

Moreover, he highlighted other benefits of the census exercise in spite of the country grappling with the impact of the pandemic. Prof Annim explained that despite COVID-19, the current census presents an opportunity for the country to update its data.

He stressed that it will help policy makers to make informed and more realistic decisions based on more accurate and realistic data on projections. More importantly, he noted that it is not ideal for the census to go beyond the 10-year interval.