Stories and facts

This district is overwhelmingly rural, with all inhabitants dwelling in rural localities, indicative of its wholly rural character. An analysis of the district's age distribution illustrates a youthful population structure, typified by a wide-based age pyramid that tapers towards a lesser number of elderly individuals (4.4 percent). The total age dependency ratio for the district rests at 101.4, with a higher age dependency ratio for males (109.7) compared to females (93.6).

Fertility, Mortality, and Migration

In terms of fertility, the Total Fertility Rate for the district is 3.4. The General Fertility Rate is measured at 100.1 births per 1000 women aged 15-49 years. The Crude Birth Rate (CBR) registers at 22.8 per 1000 population. On the mortality front, the district records a crude death rate of 7.7 per 1000 population. Notably, the highest death rate for males is concentrated in the 70 and above age bracket (47 deaths per 1000 population), while for females, a similar pattern emerges with the highest death rate (29 deaths per 1000 population) observed in the 70 years and older category. Causes of death reveal that accidents, violence, homicide, and suicide jointly account for 6.1 percent of all fatalities, while other causes constitute the remaining 93.9 percent.

Migration patterns highlight that a substantial proportion of migrants (65.6 percent) in the district were born in regions outside the district, with 34.4 percent originating from other areas within the Northern Region. Furthermore, migrants born outside the district and even outside Ghana contribute significantly, with 57.7 percent originating beyond the national borders.

Household Dynamics and Marital Status

The district's household population amounts to 45,160, distributed across 5,214 households, culminating in an average household size of 9.0 individuals. The largest demographic within households is children, comprising 53.9 percent, while spouses constitute approximately 10.4 percent. Extended households, encompassing the head, spouse(s), children, and head's relatives, make up a significant 67.9 percent of all households.

Marital status statistics portray that around 59.9 percent of individuals aged 12 and above are married, 34.3 percent have never married, 0.4 percent are in consensual unions, 4.1 percent are widowed, 0.7 percent are divorced, and 0.6 percent are separated. Among the married, 90.1 percent have received no formal education, whereas about 56.1 percent of the unmarried cohort have never attended school. The economically active segment predominantly comprises the married, with 82.5 percent employed, while the unmarried group records 41.9 percent being economically inactive and 0.7 percent being unemployed.

Nationality, Literacy, and Economic Activity

In terms of nationality, Ghanaians by birth constitute a substantial 94.0 percent of the district's population. Those who have undergone naturalization account for 0.9 percent, and the non-Ghanaian population contributes 2.8 percent.

Literacy and education data reflect that among individuals aged 11 years and above, 77.9 percent lack literacy skills, while the remaining 22.1 percent are literate. Gender discrepancies are evident, with higher illiteracy rates among females (53.1 percent) compared to males (46.9 percent). An encouraging statistic emerges regarding language proficiency: 64.6 percent of the populace can both speak and write English and local Ghanaian languages.

Economic activity status unveils that 76.0 percent of those aged 15 years and above partake in economic activities, while 24.0 percent remain economically inactive. Within the economically active group, 99.0 percent are employed, and the remaining 1.0 percent are unemployed. Among the economically inactive, a notable 40.3 percent are engaged in household duties, while 32.0 percent are in full-time education, and 20.2 percent are deemed too young or too old to participate in the workforce.

Occupation and Employment

Within the employed population, approximately 94.0 percent are engaged in skilled agricultural, forestry, and fishery roles, while 2.8 percent are involved in craft and related trades. Moreover, 1.7 percent are employed in services and sales sectors.

The occupation narrative extends to employment status and sectoral involvement. Among those aged 15 years and above, 50.2 percent are self-employed without employees, while 45.1 percent contribute as family workers. Apprentice, domestic employee, and casual worker categories collectively form less than one percent of the employed population. Within the district, the private informal sector emerges as the leading employer, engaging 98.1 percent of the population, followed by the public sector at 0.7 percent.