Chairperson of the Parliamentary Caucus on Population and Development, Hon. Patricia Appiagyei, has called for increased investment in Ghana’s young population, describing the country’s youthful demographic as a historic opportunity to accelerate economic growth and national development.
According to her, Ghana’s future prosperity depends on building a healthy, skilled, and empowered youth population capable of driving innovation and productivity.
Addressing Parliament to commemorate World Population Day 2026, Hon. Appiagyei said nearly 12 million Ghanaians, representing about one-third of the population, are young people between the ages of 15 and 35 years.
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Ghana, she said, is currently at a critical stage in its demographic transition, with the country’s population projected to have increased from 30.8 million recorded in the 2021 Population and Housing Census to about 34.4 million.
Hon. Appiagyei said the youthful population presents Ghana with a unique opportunity to benefit from the demographic dividend, but stressed that this can only be achieved through deliberate investments in human capital development.
World Population Day 2026 was celebrated globally on July 11 under the theme: “Realizing the Hopes and Aspirations of Young People: Today and for the Future.” Ghana’s national theme is “Investing in Ghana’s Future through Healthy, Skilled and Empowered Young People.”
The former Deputy Majority Leader acknowledged progress made in youth development but expressed concern about persistent challenges affecting young people, including unemployment, skills gaps, limited access to finance, adolescent pregnancy, mental health concerns, and digital inequalities.
She cited national labour statistics for 2025, which indicate that about one in every four young people aged between 15 and 35 years is not in education, employment or training (NEET).
She added that young women continue to face disproportionate challenges, while many employers struggle to find workers with the required skills.
On adolescent pregnancy, the legislator referenced the Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS) 2022, which showed that 15.2 per cent of adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 years have ever been pregnant.
Hon. Appiagyei urged Parliament, government, development partners, the private sector, and civil society organisations to intensify efforts aimed at empowering young people.
She called for increased investment in: Quality and inclusive education; Technical, vocational and digital skills development; Youth employment and entrepreneurship; Improved access to family planning commodities; Strengthening primary healthcare delivery; Domestic health financing; Adolescent reproductive health programmes; Mental health and social protection initiatives; Innovation, research and technology; and
Strong population data systems for evidence-based policymaking.
She emphasised that investments in education, healthcare, skills training, and entrepreneurship would provide long-term benefits for Ghana’s economy.
“Every investment in education, healthcare, nutrition, technical and vocational skills, digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and decent employment strengthens Ghana’s human capital,” she said.
The Caucus Chairperson said Ghana must make strategic choices today to ensure the country fully benefits from its youthful population.
“The choices we make today will determine whether Ghana fully harnesses its demographic dividend or misses a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” she cautioned.
She called for a collective commitment to building a Ghana where every young person is healthy, educated, skilled, productive, and empowered to contribute meaningfully to national development.
Hon. Appiagyei urged stakeholders to continue working towards creating opportunities for young people.