Population Ageing in Ghana: Research Gaps and the Way Forward

Table 4

Percentage distribution of elderly persons aged 60 and above in Ghana by selected characteristics, 1984–2000.

Characteristics	1984			2000			Sex ratio
	Male	Female	Total	Male	Female	Total	1984	2000
Place of residence
Rural	77.4	72.1	74.7	61.7	60.7	61.2	103.7	88.4
Urban	22.6	27.9	25.3	38.3	39.3	38.8	78.1	85.0
Education
No education	71.1	77.7	74.8	60.8	70.2	66.6	91.1	88.9
Primary	18.9	20.0	19.3	23.7	21.5	22.2	93.4	102.1
Secondary	5.7	2.1	3.6	9.3	5.2	7.1	112.2	117.8
Tertiary	4.3	0.2	2.3	6.2	3.1	4.1	127.6	130.4
Occupational status
Agricultural	78.2	86.5	83.7	74.9	82.7	78.9	87.6	86.9
Nonagricultural	21.8	13.5	16.3	25.1	17.3	21.1	109.9	107.8
Marital status
Never married	4.4	9.2	7.7	3.6	8.8	5.4	82.7	80.9
Married	59.5	40.6	47.9	62.6	42.3	50.9	117.9	129.9
Widowed/divorced/separated	36.1	50.2	44.4	33.8	48.9	43.7	77.7	80.1
Number	349263	361872	711135	631395	725280	1356675	96.5	87.1

Sources: 1984 and 2000 censuses of Ghana.