Population Size and Growth Rates:

According to the 2000 population and Housing Census, the District has a population of 58,172 and a growth rate of 2.1 percent per annum. The population is however, estimated to be 71,580 in 2010 and projected to 76,070 in 2013. The creation of the new district has for now opened up jobs and there are influxes of people into the district seeking greener pastures leading to high population growth.

The increasing population and the influx of migrants implies the availability of labour force hence a potential for investment. This situation augurs well for development. However, the quality of the labour force in terms of health and skills would have to be developed.

Age and Sex Structure

As a result of the comparative high population growth rate in the District about 69.2 percent of the population falls within the working age group according to the District Field Survey March 2010 as compared to the National estimated figure of 51 percent in the 2000 PHC. The implication for development is that many hands would be available for production. This underscores the great need to create job avenues to absorb the large labour force. Children under 15 years account for about 25.8 percent of the population, while the aged persons (65 years and older) form 5.1 percent. Details of the survey results are displayed in the table below.

From the survey, 50.8 percent of the population are females and the rest 49.2 percent males. This indicates a sex ratio of 97 males to every 100 females or 1:1:03. The dominance of females over males is a reflection of the nationwide trend where the estimated ratio is 1:1:03. The need to target women in any development programme in the District can therefore not be over- emphasized.

Housing Characteristics

Under the housing characteristics, indicators considered were the average household size, the average number of households per house, housing conditions among others. A total of Six Hundred Households (600) were sampled for the survey and the results are analysed as follows.

Average Household Size

From the survey, it was found out that the District has an average household size of 4.8 compared to the National figure of 5.1 in the 2000 PHC. This means that there is low dependency on the household heads and housing facilities in the District as against the Nation.

Average Number of Household per House

Average number of households per house at the national level is low (1.7%) as compared to the district figure 3.7%. The implication is that the traditional model of living together in compound houses is still cherished in the District.

Housing Condition

With regards to the housing conditions, the survey data captured the materials for roof and materials for constructing walls of the various households.

The materials used for roofing in the District vary from aluminum to grass. Other roofing materials such as slate, asbestos, wood were also identified in the communities visited during the survey.

From the survey conducted, it was realised that more than four-fifths (83.2%) of the households use aluminum for roofing and 3.4% of the households use roofing tiles which is a new phenomenon in the building industry widely used in cities. In terms of quality and durability, it appears that 10.7% (bamboo, 3.0% and grass 7.7%) of the dwelling units were not adequately roofed; this may pose difficulties and inconveniences during bad weather whilst others accounted for 2.7 Percent. This is depicted in the table below.

Under the building materials used for constructing houses, cement blocks accounted for 17.7%, burned bricks 3.3%, landcrate/ wattle and daub 39.7%, bricks 29.8% and others such as wooden structures accounted for 9.6%. It could be deduce from the statistics that, relative poverty is experienced in the District since majority of households could not afford cement blocks and burned bricks which are durable building materials.

Dependency Ratio

Dependency ratio refers to the ratio of the economically dependent population i.e. the ratio of the elderly (65 +) plus the young (0-14) the population in the “working ages” (15-64) to. Dependency ratio is basically in two forms: (a) Age dependency ratio (b) Economic dependency ratio

Age dependency ratio refers to the ratio of the persons in the ages defined as dependent (0-14 and 65+) to the persons in the ages defined as economically active (15-64) in a population.

The survey reveals age dependency ratio of 45:100 for the District as compared to 96:100 for the Nation as per the GLSS 4 survey. The current dependency ratio means that on average two persons of working age (15-64) have one additional person to support. Hence the labour forces are not overburdened.

Spatial Distribution of Population

The spatial distribution of the population in the Dormaa East District is even since it is skewed towards the settlement along the Berekum-Dormaa trunk road. This could be attributed to the availability of minimal social amenities at these settlements. He there is the urgent need for fair distribution of social amenities in the District to ensure equitable distribution of the population and maximise the use of the available natural resources.

Rural Urban Split

The District has 33 communities and out of this only Five; Dormaa Akwamu, Asuotiano, Wamfie, Kyeremasu and Wamanafo are urban settlements having a population of over 5,000 (2000 population and housing census). The District can be described as typically urbanising. It is currently estimated at 68.1 Percent living in Urban Areas whiles that of the Nation is 37.4 percent. The scenario indicates that the major communities such as Asuotiano, Wamfie, and Wamanafo have the potential of merging together to form a large sprawling linear settlement along the Berekum- Dormaa Ahenkro trunk road and a market centre.

Population Density

Population density refers to the population per unit area of land. The total land area of the Dormaa East is 456 Square Kilometres. In this case the density refers to the population per square kilometer. With the population of 58,172 in 2000 translates into a density of 127.6 per Square Kilometre and a projected population of 71,580 results into a density of 157 per Square Kilometre. This is slightly above the national density of 76 per Square Kilometre. This is a clear demonstration of the increasing population of the District as result of migration which attracts mostly farmers. Consequently, there is pressure on the existing socio-economic infrastructure. The Increasing population has led to high demand for land leading to high land price. Also, there is a large market for the buying and selling of goods and services in the District.

Migration

About 38.5 percent of the residents in the District have migrated for the past one year. Out of this 23.1 percent are in-migrants and 15.4 percent out-migrants. For the purpose of the migration, 22.3 percent stated employment, 2.2 percent to learn a trade, 5.5 percent pleasure or Kinship, 4.4 percent education and 4.1 percent others reason beside the aforementioned.

Chieftaincy Disputes

Chieftaincy disputes have long been a canker in Ghanaian society. Currently there are over three hundred recorded disputes in the country. The Dormaa East District is not an exception. Recognition, Mismanagement and greed have been cited as the major causes of such disputes. Several measures have been implemented to address chieftaincy issues including court proceedings and arbitration processes but to no avail. Settlements with such protracted disputes in the District include: Wamfie, Wamanafo, Kyeremasu, Twepeasea, Subinkron, Asunsu No. 1 and 2, Danyame, Nseseresu, Mmomesomuo. However, these disputes are not volatile as happens in other parts of the country.

Functional Hierarchy of Settlements

The analysis of the scalogram was used to come out with the functional hierarchy of settlements in the District. The settlements were arranged in a hierarchical order based on the level of their functional complexity. The procedures for the ordering of settlements by functions are shown below:

• Weights (W) were assigned to each facility according to the level of function or importance within its defined sector. E.g. In the health sector a hospital performs a higher function than a health centre in terms of services provided therefore it scores a higher weight than a health centre. Similarly in education sector, an SSS performs a higher function than a JSS).
• A Centrality Index of 100 was used for each the services.
• Weighted Centrality Scores were calculated for each facility by multiplying the assigned weight (W) by the Centrality Index (100) and dividing the result by the number of settlements that have that facility (N). The higher the frequency of a facility, the lower the weight of that facility. E.g. the District has only one tertiary school with a weight of 4. Therefore given a centrality Index of 100, the weighted centrality score of that facility is calculated as: 4x100/1 = 400. Similarly, the weighted centrality score of Senior High School, which has a weight of 3 and a frequency of 2 is calculated as: 3x100/2 =150.
• Total Centrality Scores were calculated for each settlement by summing up the Weighted Centrality Scores for all the available facilities in each settlement.

The Total Centrality Score indicates the functionality* of each settlement. Based on the Total Centrality Score, settlements were grouped into four hierarchies as illustrated on the scalogram on table 1.8 below

Wamfie is the first level settlement in the District. It had a total centrality score of 3053 with 31 functions. Settlements like Wamanafo, D/Akwamu, Kyeremasu and Asuotiano which have attained peri-urban status are in the second level. Nseseresu/Asuhyiae, Adeebra, fall in the third level. Whilst settlements like Apenkrom, Aboroso, Meweremfiriwuo, Fosukrom-Kumantaa, Kofi – Nti –Shed, Subinkrom among others are in the fourth level. The following is the outcome of the analysis of the functional hierarchy of settlements.

• There is inadequate distribution of services and facilities and the distribution is also skewed infavour of the big settlements.
• Most of the settlements however have access to basic services and facilities such as Primary School, Junior High Schools, KVIP, water (standpipes, boreholes among others).
• Rural settlements are the most deprived and that effort aimed at reducing poverty should target providing minimal services for the population in these areas.
• towns and electoral areas