Ghana Census, 1984 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This collection will include records from March 11, 1984.

The census was recorded in census registers, which include a title page summary and the enumeration pages with detailed information for each address taken. The text of the census is written in English.

The 1984 Ghana census was conducted with 140 local councils as administrative units. The census records have the imprinted year of 1982; however the census was conducted in March of 1984. The statistics for the census in 1984 recorded a population figure of 12.3 million inhabitants. The census is divided into a total of 56,170 localities.

Only those individuals, including foreign visitors, who were present in Ghana on March 11, 1984, were included in the census enumeration. Due to records loss in Ghana, not all localities are listed. Please be advised that the printed date on the census enumeration form usually says 1982; the census, however, was formally conducted in 1984 and is the third post-independence census of Ghana (1960, 1970 and 1984).

For a list of records by date or locality currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

Record Content
Census records usually contain the following information:


 * Enumeration area and detailed address of house
 * Name of town/village
 * Full name of members present on census night
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Gender, age, birthplace, and nationality of household members
 * Level of education of each person
 * Occupation of each person
 * Employment status
 * Names of visitors present on census night
 * Names of members absent on census night

How to Use the Records
To begin your search, it would be helpful if you knew the following information:


 * Name of ancestor
 * Name of district and town/village

Searching the Collection
To search the collection image by image ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page: ⇒Select "Locality" which takes you to the images.

Search the collection by image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:


 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

As you are searching it is helpful to know such information as your ancestor’s given name and surname, some identifying information such as residence and age, and family relationships. Remember that there may be more than one person in the records with the same name as your ancestor and that your ancestor may have used nicknames or different names at different times.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?
If you are unable to find information in civil or church registers, the census is the next good source to find vital and other interesting information.

This census has a treasure of information which could allow a researcher to continue research in other vital sources.

Related Websites

 * Census data

Maps


 * Ghana in 2009
 * Ghana in 1983

Local History


 * Ghana Statistical Service, history of census taking in Ghana
 * Ghana: History
 * Political situation in Ghana in early 1980's

Other Genealogical Resources


 * BYU Guidelines For Family Research in Ghana
 * Ghana GenWeb

Related Wiki Articles
Ghana

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
Citations for individual image records are available for this collection. Browse through images in this collection and click on the "Show Citation" box: Ghana Census, 1982-1984

When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Ghana_Census,_1984_(FamilySearch_Historical_Records)