Changing Family Demography in Ghana
摘要
Due to socio-economic development such as increasing education, modernisation, and urbanisation, families and households have undergone significant transformations. This chapter examines changes in family structure in Ghana, showing trends and patterns of family formation, household composition, and living arrangements by age, sex, level of education, and other socio-demographic characteristics. The chapter uses data from the Ghana Demographic and Health Surveys conducted from 1988 to 2022 and other complementary data sources, including the 2016 and 2019 Ghana Malaria Indicator Surveys conducted by the DHS Program and the Ghana Maternal Health Survey. Descriptive statistics are used to illustrate changes in family formation and household living arrangements in Ghana. Some key findings show that the proportion of married males and females has decreased over time. The results also suggest that the number of polygynous unions is declining. In Ghana, family demographics are changing, with a growing gap between the age of first sexual experience and first marriage. Finally, changes in household and intergenerational living arrangements also create important opportunities for further demographic research on the welfare of families.