Although average temperatures between November and March can be reasonable, Accra typically ranks among the hottest cities in the African continent due largely to its heavy humidity.
Happily, Accra’s southern Atlantic coastline is blessed with popular beaches and notably Labadi Beach. The capital’s beachfront area is also home to the Academy of African Music and Arts.
One financial reality is that Ghanaians face with high inflation. In 2017, Ghana’s consumer price inflation rate was an estimated 12.4% according to the Central Intelligence Agency World Factbook–falling within the world’s 10% highest inflation rates.
The word Accra comes from the Akan word “Nkran” which means ants, referring to the many anthills for soldier ants found in the countryside surrounding Ghana’s capital city.
Ghana ranks as the world’s 81st top exporters in 2019, shipping US$14 billion worth of goods around the globe. Ghana’s most valuable exported products are gold (31.5% of the global total), crude oil (30.4%), cocoa beans (11%), manganese ores and concentrates (4.2%), cocoa paste (2.8%), cocoa butter, fat and oil (2.7%) then tropical rough wood (1.1%) according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Accra, Ghana: Quick Reference
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Accra, Ghana.
- Jerry J. Rawlings, former president (born Jun. 22, 1947)
- Asamoah Gyan, soccer player/footballer (born Nov. 22, 1985)
- Yvonne Nelson, actress & model (born Nov. 12, 1985)
- Ezekiel Ansah, NFL football player (born May 29, 1989)
- Shatta Wale, Reggae singer (born Oct. 17, 1984)
- Majid Michel (aka Shaker), actor (born Sep. 22, 1980)
- MzVee, award-winning singer (born Jun. 23, 1992)
- Michael Essien, soccer player/footballer (born Dec. 3, 1982)
- Hugh Quarshie, actor (born Dec. 22, 1954)
- Jay Breezy, illustrator (born Oct. 10, 1995)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for an Accra resident: Accran
Population: 2,514,000 (Accra) at June 30, 2020
Density: 37,522 people per square mile (14,532 per square kilometer)
Population: 31,073,108 (Ghana) at June 30, 2020
Density: 354 people per square mile (137 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Ghanaians: 21.5 years old
Financial
GDP: US$209.8 billion for 2019 (Ghana)
GDP per person: $6,956
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Accra were unavailable.
Official currency used in Accra: Ghanaian Cedi
Geography
Capital landmarks: Bojo Beach, Makola Market and Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Africa: Ghana.
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas.
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Official Government Website, Government of Accra (Greater Accra Region).
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Accra.
Wikipedia, Ghana.
Wikipedia, Greater Accra Region.
WorldOMeter, Ghana Population
Ghana attained independence from the United Kingdom on March 6, 1957. Ghanaians celebrate Independence Day as a public holiday each March 6.
Accra city is often associated the Accra Metropolis District, both occupying the same land area of 67 square miles (173 square kilometers). About 2.5 million people live within the perimeters of that area as of June 2020.
At the country level, Ghana’s land area covers 87,854 square miles (227,540 square kilometers). The national population count was 31.1 million inhabitants at June 2020.
Population density is much higher within Ghana’s capital city and the related Accra Metropolis District, equaling an average 37,522 Accrans per square mile (14,532 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to Ghana’s overall land boundaries, population density dilutes to an average 354 inhabitants per square mile (137 per square kilometer).
