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Global Sourcebook for International Data Management
by Graham Rhind
For supplementary information, see links to post office home pages here , to postal code pages here and to other personal name and addressing issues pages here .
Table of Contents |
30 832 019 (2021) [1]
Note: This section last updated 21st April 2021
In Fula (Fulfulde), Adlam script:
(where indicates the decimal separator and the thousands separator). Numbers in Adlam are written from right to left.
In Fula (Fulfulde), Latin script:
1 234,45
(where , indicates the decimal separator and a space the thousands separator)
In English, Akan, Éwé, Ga and Hausa:
1,234.45
(where . indicates the decimal separator and , the thousands separator)
Note: This section last updated 21st April 2021
In Fula (Fulfulde), Adlam script:
yyyy-mm-dd
14:32
In Fula (Fulfulde), Latin script; Hausa and English:
dd/mm/yyyy
14:32
In Akan:
yyyy/mm/dd
14:32
In Adlam:
yyyy-mm-dd
14:32
In Ga:
mm/dd/yyyy
14:32
The national language is English .
71 other languages are spoken in Ghana. The geographical distribution of these languages is complex.
The main languages are Abron (606 600 speakers); Ahanta (100 000 speakers); Akan (7 000 000 speakers); Anyin (200 000 speakers); Awutu (100 000 speakers); Birifor (100 000 speakers); Bissa (119 100 speakers); Buli (100 000 speakers); Dagaari (501 000 speakers); Dagbani (540 000 speakers); Éwé (1 615 000 speakers); Ga-Adangme-Krobo (1 125 900 speakers); Gonjo (250 000 speakers); Gua (156 000 speakers; Gurenne (526 000 speakers); Kasem (100 000 speakers); Konkomba (400 000 speakers); Kusaal (500 000 speakers); Mampruli (226 800 speakers); Ntcham (100 000 speakers); Nzema (285 800 speakers); Sehwi (200 000 speakers); Sisaala (20 000 speakers) and Wasa (175 000 speakers).
English forms of address are usually used. The Akan’s use Owura for “Mr” and Awura for “Mrs” and “Miss”. They also often name their children from the day of the week upon which they were born and the order in which they were born. Thus Kwame Nkrumah, was so named for being born on a Saturday (Kwame) and being the ninth born (Nkrumah); and Kofi Annan was born on Friday (Kofi).
Women usually take their husband’s family name upon marriage.
Tables of names can be acquired: given names , surnames/family names , family name prefixes , forms of address , job titles
Note: This section last updated 3rd May 2021
There are no street deliveries in Ghana. Deliveries are to post office boxes or to private mail bags.
Though postal deliveries are only to mailing addresses, street addresses will be found for the use of couriers, visitors etc. As not all streets are named, these may often be descriptive and unstructured, but usually written in English. Examples:
Where a digital address code (GhanaPostGPS) is used in an address block (please refer to the postal codes section), it is written after the postal city name, on the same line, in this way:
Address blocks may also contain a telephone number.
BBC article about managing in Ghana without street names
A table containing information about the relevant position of elements within address blocks can be acquired
This is written PO Box. Private Mail Bag is also found.
Note: This section last updated 7th November 2017
Ghana has no traditional postal code system.
On 18th October 2017 Ghana Post introduced a digital address system, called GhanaPostGPS, intended as an alternative to the traditional address system. This system divides the country into 5m by 5m squares, each of which is given a code. Though billed as providing a unique address for every property, this system will duplicate addresses that share the same square in the grid. At the current time creation of a code requires a user to have access to mobile communications, and an app, and to position themselves at the property. People trying to find an address also need access to mobile communications, an app and the code, and the codes are not yet fully accurate due to GPS quality fluctuations.
These codes have the format:
AA[-]999[-]9999
or
A9[-]999[-]9999
where the first letter indicates a region and the second letter or number indicates the district. Ghana Post names the first three digits as the postal code, and the final four as a "unique address". Ghana Post suggest the continued use of traditional addresses alongside this GPS-based system.
As these are positional codes rather than postal codes in the traditional sense, I do not categorise them as postal codes in this resource.
Codes used per region are:
Region | First letter | Allowed second digits |
Ash1anti | A | 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z |
Brong-Ahafo | B | 2, 3, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z |
Central | C | A, B, C, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, O, P, R, S, T, U, V. W, X |
Eastern | E | 2, 3, A, B, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z |
Greater Accra | G | A, B, C, D, E, K, L, M, N, O, S, T, W, X, Y, Z |
Northern | N | 2, 3, 4, 5, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, I, K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, W, X, Y, Z |
Upper East | U | A, B, G, K, L, N, O, P, R, S, T, U, W |
Upper West | X | D, J, K, L, N, O, S, T, W, X, Y |
Volta | V | A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z |
Western | W | A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, W, X, Y, Z |
For more information: GhanaPostGPS
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Note: This section last updated 31st July 2014
Refer to Exonyms in Ghana for full lists of place names in Ghana in other languages.
Note: This section last updated 9th June 2019
Ghana has 16 regions , sometimes found written in addresses:
Ahafo Ashanti Bono East Bono (previously Brong-Ahafo) Central Eastern Greater Accra North East Northern Oti Savannah Upper East Upper West Volta Western Western North
Note: This section last updated 22nd March 2023
Ghanean area codes have 2 digits when called from abroad, subscriber numbers have 7 digits. Mobile numbers have the area codes 20, 23-28, 50, 53, 54, 55, 56-57 or 59.
Every effort is made to keep this resource updated. If you find any errors, or have any questions or requests, please don't hesitate to contact the author.
All information copyright Graham Rhind 2024. Any information used should be acknowledged and referenced.