Capital

Ghana

name: Accra

geographic coordinates: 5 33 N, 0 13 W

time difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

etymology: the name derives from the Akan word "nkran" meaning "ants," and refers to the numerous anthills in the area around the capital

Paraguay

name: Asuncion

geographic coordinates: 25 16 S, 57 40 W

time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in October; ends last Sunday in March

etymology: the name means "assumption" and derives from the original name given to the city at its founding in 1537, Nuestra Senora Santa Maria de la Asuncion (Our Lady Saint Mary of the Assumption)

Citizenship

Ghana

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent or grandparent must be a citizen of Ghana

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 5 years

Paraguay

citizenship by birth: yes

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a native-born citizen of Paraguay

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 3 years

Legal system

Ghana

mixed system of English common law and customary law

Paraguay

civil law system with influences from Argentine, Spanish, Roman, and French civil law models; judicial review of legislative acts in Supreme Court of Justice

Suffrage

Ghana

18 years of age; universal

Paraguay

18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 75

Area

Ghana

total: 238,533 sq km

land: 227,533 sq km

water: 11,000 sq km

Paraguay

total: 406,752 sq km

land: 397,302 sq km

water: 9,450 sq km

Land use

Ghana

agricultural land: 69.1% (2018 est.)

arable land: 20.7% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 11.9% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 36.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 21.2% (2018 est.)

other: 9.7% (2018 est.)

Paraguay

agricultural land: 53.8% (2018 est.)

arable land: 10.8% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.2% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 42.8% (2018 est.)

forest: 43.8% (2018 est.)

other: 2.4% (2018 est.)

Location

Ghana

Western Africa, bordering the Gulf of Guinea, between Cote d'Ivoire and Togo

Paraguay

Central South America, northeast of Argentina, southwest of Brazil

Age structure

Ghana

0-14 years: 37.72% (male 6,445,288/female 6,321,989)

15-64 years: 57.92% (male 9,420,940/female 10,181,376)

65 years and over: 4.36% (2023 est.) (male 660,991/female 815,530)

Paraguay

0-14 years: 22.4% (male 847,721/female 818,983)

15-64 years: 68.54% (male 2,560,031/female 2,539,378)

65 years and over: 9.06% (2023 est.) (male 320,958/female 352,792)

Birth rate

Ghana

28 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Paraguay

16.2 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Ghana

6 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Paraguay

4.9 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Ghana

Asante 16%, Ewe 14%, Fante 11.6%, Boron (Brong) 4.9%, Dagomba 4.4%, Dangme 4.2%, Dagarte (Dagaba) 3.9%, Kokomba 3.5%, Akyem 3.2%, Ga 3.1%, other 31.2% (2010 est.)

note: English is the official language

Paraguay

Spanish (official) and Guarani (official) 46.3%, only Guarani 34%, only Spanish 15.2%, other (includes Portuguese, German, other Indigenous languages) 4.1%, no response 0.4%; note - data represent predominant household language (2012 est.)

major-language sample(s):
La Libreta Informativa del Mundo, la fuente indispensable de información básica. (Spanish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Ghana

total population: 69.7 years (2023 est.)

male: 68.1 years

female: 71.4 years

Paraguay

total population: 78.6 years (2023 est.)

male: 76 years

female: 81.4 years

Major urban areas - population

Ghana

3.768 million Kumasi, 2.660 million ACCRA (capital), 1.078 million Sekondi Takoradi (2023)

Paraguay

3.511 million ASUNCION (capital) (2023)

Median age

Ghana

total: 21.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 20.4 years

female: 22.2 years

Paraguay

total: 31.3 years (2023 est.)

male: 31.1 years

female: 31.5 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Ghana

20.7 years (2014 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-49

Paraguay

22.9 years (2008 est.)

note: data represents median age at first birth among women 25-29

Net migration rate

Ghana

-0.2 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Paraguay

-0.1 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Ghana

population is concentrated in the southern half of the country, with the highest concentrations being on or near the Atlantic coast as shown in this population distribution map

Paraguay

most of the population resides in the eastern half of the country; to the west lies the Gran Chaco (a semi-arid lowland plain), which accounts for 60% of the land territory, but only 2% of the overall population

Population growth rate

Ghana

2.19% (2023 est.)

Paraguay

1.12% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Ghana

3.61 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Paraguay

1.88 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Ghana

urban population: 59.2% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 3.06% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Paraguay

urban population: 63.1% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 1.64% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Ghana

3.9% of GDP (2018 est.)

Paraguay

3.3% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Ghana

total: 12 years

male: 12 years

female: 12 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Ghana

-6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Paraguay

-1.1% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Ghana

-0.8% (2021 est.)

Paraguay

4.69% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Ghana

14.095 million (2021 est.)

Paraguay

3.43 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Ghana

23.4% (2016 est.)

Paraguay

23.5% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Ghana

4.7% (2021 est.)

4.65% (2020 est.)

4.32% (2019 est.)

Paraguay

7.21% (2021 est.)

7.55% (2020 est.)

6.59% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Ghana

71.8% of GDP (2017 est.)

73.4% of GDP (2016 est.)

Paraguay

19.5% of GDP (2017 est.)

18.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Ghana

9.97% (2021 est.)

9.89% (2020 est.)

7.14% (2019 est.)

Paraguay

4.79% (2021 est.)

1.77% (2020 est.)

2.76% (2019 est.)

Exports

Ghana

$23.901 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$22.077 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$25.592 billion (2019 est.)

Paraguay

$14.154 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$11.794 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$13.272 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Exports - partners

Ghana

Switzerland 23%, United Arab Emirates 12%, China 12%, India 9%, Netherlands 5% (2020)

Paraguay

Brazil 32%, Argentina 22%, Chile 8%, Russia 8% (2019)

Imports

Ghana

$25.967 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$24.545 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$26.908 billion (2019 est.)

Paraguay

$13.454 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$10.46 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$13.146 billion (2019 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

Imports - partners

Ghana

China 42%, Netherlands 5%, United States 5%, India 5%, United Arab Emirates 3% (2020)

Paraguay

Brazil 24%, United States 22%, China 17%, Argentina 10%, Chile 5% (2019)

Airports

Ghana

10 (2021)

Paraguay

799 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Ghana

total: 78,371 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 0.3 (2020 est.)

Paraguay

total: 562,369 (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 8 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Ghana

total: 22.44 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 68% (2021 est.)

Paraguay

total: 5.159 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 77% (2021 est.)

Railways

Ghana

total: 947 km (2022)

narrow gauge: 947 km (2022) 1.067-m gauge

Paraguay

total: 30 km (2014)

standard gauge: 30 km (2014) 1.435-m gauge

Roadways

Ghana

total: 65,725 km (2021)

paved: 14,948 km (2021)

unpaved: 50,777 km (2021)

urban: 28,480 km 27% total paved 73% total unpaved

Paraguay

total: 78,811 km (2020)

paved: 8,573 km (2020)

unpaved: 70,238 km (2020)

Telephones - fixed lines

Ghana

total subscriptions: 315,271 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 1 (2021 est.)

Paraguay

total subscriptions: 203,971 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 3 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Ghana

total subscriptions: 40,454,073 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 123 (2021 est.)

Paraguay

total subscriptions: 7,975,074 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 119 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Ghana

1,293 km (2011) (168 km for launches and lighters on Volta, Ankobra, and Tano Rivers; 1,125 km of arterial and feeder waterways on Lake Volta)

Paraguay

3,100 km (2012) (primarily on the Paraguay and Paraná River systems)

Disputes - international

Ghana

disputed maritime border with Cote d'Ivoire was resolved in 2017 through a decision of a Special Chamber of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS)

Paraguay

Paraguay-Argentina-Brazil: unruly region at convergence of Paraguay-Argentina-Brazil borders is locus of money laundering, smuggling, arms and illegal narcotics trafficking, and fundraising for violent extremist organizations