The region’s population is 1,593,823. The corresponding 1984 population was 1,142,335. This means that the region’s population is growing at a rate of 2.1 per cent per annum. The region is also the second most densely populated in the country, with a population density of 162 persons per square kilometre.
Out-migration, which continues to be a problem in the region, is declining gradually with immigrants constituting about a quarter of the population in all the districts. Between 1984- 2000, the region recorded a net out-migration rate of 14.3 per cent compared to that of 15.4 per cent recorded in the period 1970-1984.
Roughly between 20 and 37 per cent of the population in the districts are migrants. Twifo- Hemang-Lower Denkyira has the highest proportion of migrants of (37%) and Ajumako- Enyan-Essiam has the least (20%). Inter-regional migrants are more than intra-regional migrants in three districts, while four other districts receive more intra-regional migrants.
In almost all the districts, most of the immigrants come from the Western, Greater Accra, Ashanti, Volta and Eastern Regions. The region is typically rural in nature, though there has been an increase in the urban population from 28 per cent in 1960 to 37.5 per cent in 2000. The most urbanised districts, which are about two-thirds urban, are Cape Coast, Awutu-Efutu-Senya and Agona.
The Ministry of Trade and Industry is in the process of formulating a five-year national export strategy, focusing mainly on increasing non-traditional export earnings from $1.2 billion to $5 billion by 2015.
The Ajumako District Directorate of the Ghana Education Service in collaboration with the District Assembly is organising a 21-day in-service training for 60 participants under the National Youth Employment Programme’s (NYEP) Community Education Teaching Assistants.
The District Coordinating Director of Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam, Mr Philip K. Asamoah, has called on all religious leaders, traditional rulers, assembly members and opinion leaders to take active part in the upcoming population and housing census to ensure a hundred per cent coverage.
An International Labour Organisation (ILO) consultant has appealed to Metropolitan, Municipal and District assemblies to identify problems facing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and help them to solve them.
The national population census exercise is not intended for taxation, Dr. Joseph Annan, Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament for Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abream (KEEA), has said.
Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCE) in the country have instigated a move that seeks to amend the Act that established the District Assembly concept to enable MMDCEs to be approved by a simple majority.
Mr Richard Lasi, Member of Parliament for Keta East and a Board Member of Venture Capital Trust Fund has urged entrepreneurs to take advantage of the Venture Capital to help grow their businesses.
The Ghana Statistical Service, in collaboration with Mfantseman Municipal Assembly, has recruited 414 people for training to handle the 2010 population and housing census.
The Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District Assembly (AEEDA) with the consent and approval of the National Headquarters of the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) would open school feeding centres in two schools in the area.
