Stories and facts

Demographics and Population Composition

As of the 2010 Population and Housing Census, the population of Kumbungu stands at 39,341. Gender distribution is nearly equal, with males constituting 50.0 percent and females comprising the other 50.0 percent. The district is primarily characterized by a rural population, where all residents reside in rural areas. A sex ratio of 97.2 indicates a slight male predominance. The district's age structure illustrates a youthful population, with 44.8 percent falling within the younger age brackets and a smaller percentage (5.4%) representing elderly individuals. The total age dependency ratio stands at 101.1, revealing a higher dependence on younger age groups by comparison. The age dependency ratio is more pronounced among males (108.6) than females (94.1).

Fertility, Mortality, and Migration

The Total Fertility Rate (TFR) for the district is recorded at 3.6, slightly below the regional average of 3.54. The General Fertility Rate (GFR) stands at 103.9 births per 1000 women aged 15-49 years, while the Crude Birth Rate (CBR) is measured at 23.4 per 1000 population. Regarding mortality, the crude death rate is reported as 8.7 per 1000. Among causes of death, incidents involving accidents, violence, homicide, and suicide contribute to 4.1 percent, while other factors account for 95.9 percent of deaths within the district. Migration patterns indicate that 90.0 percent of migrants have origins in different regions, with 10.0 percent originating from various localities within the Northern Region. Notably, the majority of migrants from other regions come from the Upper East and Brong Ahafo regions.

Household Dynamics and Structure

Within the Kumbungu District, there are a total of 4,133 households accommodating a household population of 39,033. The average household size is 9.5 persons. The composition of households highlights children as the most significant proportion, accounting for 48.4 percent, followed by spouses at 9.1 percent. Nuclear households, consisting of the head, spouse(s), and children, represent 14.6 percent of the total households.

Marital Status and Education

Among individuals aged 12 years and older, 61.8 percent are married, while 32.5 percent have never married, and smaller percentages are in consensual unions (0.3 percent), widowed (4.1 percent), divorced (0.8 percent), or separated (0.5 percent). Marital trends vary by age and gender, with a notably higher percentage of females aged 25-29 (89.4%) being married compared to males (57.7%). Among married individuals, 86.0 percent lack formal education, while approximately 50.2 percent of the never-married group have never attended school. Employment rates are higher among the married (85.4%), with 1.3 percent unemployed and 13.3 percent not economically active. In contrast, a larger proportion (31.4%) of the never-married category is not economically active, with 1.6 percent being unemployed.

Nationality and Literacy

The district's population exhibits a predominantly Ghanaian composition by birth, accounting for 95.8 percent. Naturalized citizens make up 0.6 percent, while non-Ghanaians represent 1.8 percent of the district's population. In terms of literacy, 26.0 percent of individuals aged 11 and above are literate, with a gender disparity favoring males (32.9%) over females (19.3%). A notable majority (75.8%) of the population aged 3 and above possess the ability to speak and write both English and Ghanaian languages. Within the district's population aged 3 years and above (10,491), 63.8 percent have never attended school, 9.6 percent are current attendees, and 6.6 percent have prior educational experience.

Economic Engagement and Occupation

A substantial portion (81.3%) of individuals aged 15 and older within the Kumbungu District are economically active, leaving 18.7 percent economically inactive. Among the economically active population, 98.1 percent are employed, with 1.9 percent unemployed. Among those who are economically inactive, responsibilities such as home duties (37.8%), student status (30.2%), and age-related constraints (23.2%) are the primary factors. Approximately half of the unemployed individuals are actively seeking work for the first time.

Occupational Diversity and Employment Categories

Of the employed population, 88.3 percent are engaged in skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery occupations, 6.0 percent in Craft and related trades, and 3.1 percent in services and sales work. Analyzing employment status and sectoral distribution among individuals aged 15 and older, 59.6 percent are self-employed without employees, 35.9 percent are contributing family workers, 1.7 percent are employees, and 0.8 percent are domestic employees. Men are more dominant across employment categories, excluding contributing family workers and apprentices. The private informal sector stands as the primary employer in the district, employing 98.1 percent of the population, followed by the public sector at 0.8 percent.