Accra, April 12, GNA- Approximately, 230,000, representing 3.2 per cent of children between the ages of 5 to 14 years are engaged in economic activity in the country.
Out of the figure, almost 80 per cent are involved in agriculture-related activities with economically active male children being about 82.2 per cent and females, about 71.2 per cent.
This was highlighted in the 2021 Population and Housing Census report on economic activity released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
On a regional basis, the Savanah region is identified as the region with the highest proportion of children population engaged in agriculture-related economic activity with 89.8 per cent recorded in the region.
This is followed by the North East with 88.6 per cent; Upper West, with 87.9 per cent; Upper East, with 82.7 per cent; Northern region, with 81.0 per cent and Oti region, with 80.2 per cent.
Greater Accra is the region with the least proportion of children’s population engaged in agriculture-related economic activity as only 26.2 per cent is economically active in the sector.
Other regions with less proportion of the children’s population engaged in agriculture-related economic activity are Central, 45.5 per cent; Western, 51.0 per cent; Volta, 55.7 per cent; Ashanti, 56.6 per cent; Eastern, 62.0 per cent and Ahafo with 70.3 per cent.
The rest are Bono,71.5 per cent; Western North, 71.7 per cent and Bono East, 77.5 per cent.
The report said while one per cent of children within the urban areas engaged in economic activity, the Greater Accra region on a regional basis had proportionately the highest population of children engaged in economic activity relating to service and sales.
Data showed that the region proportionately had 42.6 per cent of children engaged in economic activity venturing into the service and sales sector.
This is followed by the Central region with 27.2 per cent; Western, 19.1 per cent; Eastern, 18.5 per cent; Ashanti, 17.3 per cent; Volta, 16.2 per cent and Bono,11.7 per cent.
The Upper West region has the least proportion of the population of children in economic activity relating to Service and sales with 2.2 per cent followed respectively by the North East with 2.4 per cent; Savannah, 3.1 per cent; Upper East, 3.2 per cent; Northern, 4.2 per cent and Oti region with 6.5 per cent.
The remaining regions are Bono East, 7.4 per cent, Ahafo, 8.8 per cent, and Western North 9.8 per cent respectively.
The report further highlighted that the involvement of children in economic activity in the Oti Region, which was at 20.8 per cent was six times more than the national figure of 3.2 per cent.
“It is also prominent in five other regions: Northeast (11.4%), Savannah (9.9%), Upper West (9.3%), Northern (8.6%) and Upper East (6.1%)” the census report stated.
Source: Ghana News Agency
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