Tamale, Ghana – The population growth rate in the Northern Region has increased persistently from 2.8 per cent in 2000 to 2.9 in 2010.
A release issued by the Northern Regional Secretariat of the National Population Council (NPC) to mark this year’s World Population Day, which falls on July 11, each year, said, “in 1960, the Northern Region recorded a population of 531,573 and by 2010 the figure rose to 2,479,461. This meant that in 50 years we have added 947,888 to our population,” the release said.
According to the statement, the fertility rate in the region had remained high with a current fertility rate of 6.6 per cent, which is higher than the national figure of 4.2 per cent.
The statement also said the contraceptive prevalence rate in the region is 10.8 per cent against the national figure of 22.2 per cent, while the region has a high unmet need for family planning of 27.8 per cent.
Source: graphic.com.gh