Economy, jobs and prices in Northern, Ghana: official figures
14.3% of people aged 15 and over in the labour force in the Northern Region were unemployed at the 2021 census (96,385 people), 6th highest of Ghana's 16 regions (Ghana: 13.4%).
Are women in the Northern Region more likely to be unemployed than men?
Unemployment at the 2021 census was 18.0% among women in the Northern Region and 11.1% among men (Ghana: 15.5% and 11.6%).
Source: Ghana Statistical Service · saved copyHow many people have jobs in the Northern Region?
577,962 people aged 15 and over were in work in the Northern Region in 2021; 52.0% of all residents in that age group were in the labour force (working or looking for work), 5th lowest of Ghana's 16 regions (Ghana: 58.1%).
Source: Ghana Statistical Service · saved copyWhat do people in the Northern Region work in?
Agriculture, forestry and fishing employed 58.2% of working people in the Northern Region at the 2021 census, 6th highest of Ghana's 16 regions (Ghana: 36.6%).
Source: Ghana Statistical Service · saved copyHow many jobs in the Northern Region are informal?
84.6% of employed people in the Northern Region worked in the private informal sector in 2021, 5th highest of Ghana's 16 regions (Ghana: 77.1%); 9.4% worked for the government (Ghana: 9.5%).
Source: Ghana Statistical Service · saved copyHow Northern compares with other regions
Unemployment rate, ages 15+ (2021 census) (2021)
Northern ranks 6 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Unemployment rate, ages 15+ (2021 census) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | North East | 20.7% |
| 4 | Western | 14.6% |
| 5 | Upper West | 14.4% |
| 6 | Northern | 14.3% |
| 7 | Bono | 13.8% |
| 8 | Volta | 13.8% |
| 9 | Central | 13.3% |
Share of workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021 census) (2021)
Northern ranks 6 of 16, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Share of workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing (2021 census) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Western North | 66.7% |
| 4 | Oti | 66.6% |
| 5 | Upper West | 58.4% |
| 6 | Northern | 58.2% |
| 7 | Ahafo | 56.3% |
| 8 | Bono East | 54.1% |
| 9 | Bono | 47.4% |
More on Northern: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · Ghana
Sources
- Ghana Statistical Service: 2021 Population and Housing Census, General Report Volume 3E district tables: Economic Activity (tables 3E.1a, 3E.11a and 3E.19a), read 27 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 b4275bf6f3dc…)
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