Population plays a key role in the development planning of every country. This report examines the population of the Upper West Region in terms of its geographical location, composition and distribution characteristics across the districts as captured by the 2010 Population and Housing Census (PHC 2010).

Along with the Upper East Region, the Upper West Region was created in 1983 out of the then Upper Region, which had itself been created out of the Northern Region in July 1960. This decentralization policy was meant to improve regional administration.