Subdivisions of Ghana: the 16 regions and 138 districts with capitals
Ghana has 16 regions, coded GH-AA to GH-WP in ISO 3166-2 since 2019. Below them it had 138 districts until 2008, listed here by former region with their capitals, from Adansi North (capital Fomena) to Wassa West (capital Tarkwa).
- Regions
- 16
- Groups
- 1
Updated
How Ghana’s district names are formed
Ghana’s districts are local assemblies, and their names follow three patterns. Some join several place names with slashes or hyphens: Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem has four of them and is governed from Elmina. Others add a compass point to tell two halves apart, as Asante Akim North and South or Kwahu South and West. A third group carries a status word after a town: Kumasi Metropolitan, Obuasi Municipal, Tamale Municipal.
The capital of a district is often not the place in its name. Afigya-Sekyere was run from Agona, Pru from Yeji, Sene from Kwame Danso, and Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem from Elmina. The table gives the capital for every district; where name and capital are the same, the capital column simply repeats it.
The 16 regions of Ghana with ISO 3166-2 codes
Since the referendum of 27 December 2018 Ghana has 16 regions. Ten of them continue the former regions, six are new; the ISO codes date from the update of 22 November 2019, which also deleted GH-BA for Brong-Ahafo.
- eng English
Regions 16
| Region | Capital | ISO 3166-2 | Formed from |
|---|---|---|---|
Ahafo Region
|
Goaso
|
GH-AF
|
Brong-Ahafo Region (2019)
|
Ashanti Region
|
Kumasi
|
GH-AH
|
unchanged
|
Bono Region
|
Sunyani
|
GH-BO
|
Brong-Ahafo Region (2019)
|
Bono East Region
|
Techiman
|
GH-BE
|
Brong-Ahafo Region (2019)
|
Central Region
|
Cape Coast
|
GH-CP
|
unchanged
|
Eastern Region
|
Koforidua
|
GH-EP
|
unchanged
|
Greater Accra Region
|
Accra
|
GH-AA
|
unchanged
|
North East Region
|
Nalerigu
|
GH-NE
|
Northern Region (2019)
|
Northern Region
|
Tamale
|
GH-NP
|
unchanged
|
Oti Region
|
Dambai
|
GH-OT
|
Volta Region (2019)
|
Savannah Region
|
Damongo
|
GH-SV
|
Northern Region (2019)
|
Upper East Region
|
Bolgatanga
|
GH-UE
|
unchanged
|
Upper West Region
|
Wa
|
GH-UW
|
unchanged
|
Volta Region
|
Ho
|
GH-TV
|
unchanged
|
Western Region
|
Sekondi-Takoradi
|
GH-WP
|
unchanged
|
Western North Region
|
Sefwi Wiawso
|
GH-WN
|
Western Region (2019)
|
The 138 districts of Ghana by former region
The district list below is the one in force before February 2008: 138 districts in the ten former regions, each with its capital. Names joined with a slash, such as Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese, combine several place names in one district.
- eng English
Ashanti Region 21
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Adansi North
|
Fomena
|
Adansi South
|
New Edubiase
|
Afigya-Sekyere
|
Agona
|
Ahafo Ano North
|
Tepa
|
Ahafo Ano South
|
Mankranso
|
Amansie Central
|
Jacobu
|
Amansie East
|
Bekwai
|
Amansie West
|
Manso Nkwanta
|
Asante Akim North
|
Konongo-Odumase
|
Asante Akim South
|
Juaso
|
Atwima
|
Nkawie
|
Atwima Mponua
|
Nyinahin
|
Botsomtwe/Atwima/Kwanhuma
|
Kuntenase
|
Ejisu-Juaben
|
Ejisu
|
Ejura/Sekyedumase
|
Ejura
|
Kumasi Metropolitan
|
Kumasi
|
Kwabre
|
Mamponteng
|
Obuasi Municipal
|
Obuasi
|
Offinso
|
Offinso
|
Sekyere East
|
Effiduase
|
Sekyere West
|
Mampong
|
Brong-Ahafo Region 19
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Asunafo North
|
Goaso
|
Asunafo South
|
Kukuom
|
Asutifi
|
Kenyasi
|
Atebubu-Amantin
|
Atebubu
|
Berekum
|
Berekum
|
Dormaa
|
Dormaa Ahenkro
|
Jaman North
|
Sampa
|
Jaman South
|
Drobo
|
Kintampo North
|
Kintampo
|
Kintampo South
|
Jema
|
Nkoranza
|
Nkoranza
|
Pru
|
Yeji
|
Sene
|
Kwame Danso
|
Sunyani
|
Sunyani
|
Tain
|
Nsawkaw
|
Tano North
|
Duayaw-Nkwanta
|
Tano South
|
Bechem
|
Techiman Municipal
|
Techiman
|
Wenchi
|
Wenchi
|
Central Region 13
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Abura/Asebu/Kwamankese
|
Abura-Dunkwa
|
Agona
|
Swedru
|
Ajumako/Enyan/Essiam
|
Ajumako
|
Asikuma/Odoben/Brakwa
|
Asikuma
|
Assin North
|
Fosu
|
Assin South
|
Nseum-Kyekyewere
|
Awutu/Effutu/Senya
|
Winneba
|
Cape Coast Municipal
|
Cape Coast
|
Gomoa
|
Apam
|
Komenda/Edina/Eguafo/Abirem
|
Elmina
|
Mfantsiman
|
Saltpond
|
Twifo/Heman/Lower Denkyira
|
Rafo
|
Upper Denkyira
|
Dunkwa-on-Offin
|
Eastern Region 17
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Afram Plains
|
Donkorkrom
|
Akuapim North
|
Akropong
|
Akuapim South
|
Nsawam
|
Asuogyaman
|
Atimpoku
|
Atiwa
|
Kwabeng
|
Birim North
|
New Abirem
|
Birim South
|
Akim Oda
|
East Akim
|
Kibi
|
Fanteakwa
|
Begoro
|
Kwaebibirem
|
Kade
|
Kwahu South
|
Mpraeso
|
Kwahu West
|
Nkawkaw
|
Manya Krobo
|
Odumase Krobo
|
New-Juaben Municipal
|
Koforidua
|
Suhum/Kraboa/Coaltar
|
Suhum
|
West Akim
|
Asamankese
|
Yilo Krobo
|
Somanya
|
Greater Accra Region 6
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Accra Metropolis
|
Accra
|
Dangme East
|
Ada
|
Dangme West
|
Dodowa
|
Ga East
|
Abokobi
|
Ga West
|
Amasaman
|
Tema Municipal
|
Tema
|
Northern Region 18
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Bole
|
Bole
|
Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo
|
Bunkpurugu
|
Central Gonja
|
Buipe
|
East Gonja
|
Salaga
|
East Mamprusi
|
Gambaga
|
Gushiegu
|
Gushiegu
|
Karaga
|
Karaga
|
Nanumba North
|
Bimbilla
|
Nanumba South
|
Wulensi
|
Saboba/Chereponi
|
Saboba
|
Savelugu/Nanton
|
Savelugu
|
Sawla-Tuna-Kalba
|
Sawla
|
Tamale Municipal
|
Tamale
|
Tolon/Kumbungu
|
Tolon
|
West Gonja
|
Damongo
|
West Mamprusi
|
Walewale
|
Yendi
|
Yendi
|
Zabzugu/Tatale
|
Zabzugu
|
Upper East Region 8
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Bawku Municipal
|
Bawku
|
Bawku West
|
Zebilla
|
Bolgatanga Municipal
|
Bolgatanga
|
Bongo
|
Bongo
|
Builsa
|
Sandema
|
Garu-Tempane
|
Garu
|
Kassena/Nankana
|
Nankana
|
Talensi-Nabdam
|
Tongo
|
Upper West Region 8
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Jirapa/Lambussie
|
Jirapa
|
Lawra
|
Lawra
|
Nadowli
|
Nadowli
|
Sissala East
|
Tumu
|
Sissala West
|
Gwollu
|
Wa East
|
Funsi
|
Wa Municipal
|
Wa
|
Wa West
|
Wechiaw
|
Volta Region 15
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Adaklu-Anyigbe
|
Agortime-Kpetoe
|
Akatsi
|
Akatsi
|
Ho Municipal
|
Ho
|
Hohoe
|
Hohoe
|
Jasikan
|
Jasikan
|
Kadjebi
|
Kadjebi
|
Keta
|
Keta
|
Ketu
|
Denu
|
Kpando
|
Kpando
|
Krachi
|
Kete-Krachi
|
Krachi East
|
Dambai
|
Nkwanta
|
Nkwanta
|
North Tongu
|
Adidome
|
South Dayi
|
Kpeve
|
South Tongu
|
Sogakope
|
Western Region 13
| District | Capital |
|---|---|
Ahanta West
|
Agona Nkwanta
|
Aowin/Suaman
|
Enchi
|
Bia
|
Essam-Debiso
|
Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai
|
Bibiani
|
Jomoro
|
Half Assini
|
Juabeso
|
Juabeso
|
Mpohor/Wassa East
|
Daboase
|
Nzema East
|
Axim
|
Sefwi-Wiawso
|
Wiawso
|
Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan
|
Sekondi-Takoradi
|
Wasa Amenfi East
|
Wassa Akropong
|
Wasa Amenfi West
|
Asankragwa
|
Wassa West
|
Tarkwa
|
District counts after Wikipedia’s Districts of Ghana, checked 28 October 2026: 110 districts after the reform of 1988/89, 138 by 2006, 170 after February 2008, 216 from 2012 and 261 assemblies today.
From 10 regions and 138 districts to 16 regions and 261 assemblies
Both levels have grown since this district list. In 2008 the number of districts rose from 138 to 170, in 2012 to 216, and with the inauguration of Guan District in October 2021 to 261 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies. The regions changed once: in 2019 Brong-Ahafo became Bono, Bono East and Ahafo, the Northern Region gave up Savannah and North East, the Volta Region gave up Oti, and Western North was separated from the Western Region.
The district groups below keep the ten former regions, so each district sits in the region it belonged to when the list was drawn up. The line under each split region names the regions its area forms today.
Questions about the subdivisions of Ghana
How many regions does Ghana have?
Sixteen since 2019. ISO 3166-2 codes them from GH-AA (Greater Accra) to GH-WP (Western).
What happened to the Brong-Ahafo Region?
It was split into Bono (capital Sunyani), Bono East (Techiman) and Ahafo (Goaso) in 2019, and ISO deleted its code GH-BA.
How many districts does Ghana have today?
261 metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies since October 2021, against 138 in the list on this page.