Parents can still register a birth free of charge in the first 12 months, after UNICEF said only about 61 per cent of Ghanaian children hold a certificate.

Published 6 Nov 2026, 13:29 GMT

4 min read

A midwife holds a newborn's foot in a maternity ward in Ghana — A newborn in a maternity ward in Ghana (file photo).

Listen to this article

Playback position

0:004:19

Playback speed

Only about 61 per cent of children in Ghana have a birth certificate, UNICEF Representative to Ghana Andy Brooks has said.

He was speaking at the Eighth International Research Conference of the College of Humanities at the University of Ghana. The university's notice set it for Wednesday, November 4 and Thursday, November 5 at the Cedi Conference Centre, Legon.

The theme was "Inclusion as a Global Imperative: Confronting Inequality and Advancing Equity, Justice, and Innovation in a Fragmenting World."

"The children are not being counted, and if they are not being counted, planners are unable to provide the right level of health, education and other social services for them," he said.

At Boapasi in the Eastern Region, he said, only a handful of the hundreds of children who gathered had certificates. Weak telecommunications, and digital registration that remote communities cannot easily use, account for part of the gap.

What a missing certificate costs

UNICEF Ghana calls a birth certificate a child's first official proof of identity. It can help with health care, education and social protection, and later with a passport or a Ghana Card.

A child with no proof of birth can also be more vulnerable to exploitation.

Brooks said available data put the share of children holding a certificate at about 61 per cent, leaving nearly four in 10 undocumented.

By the end of 2025 the Births and Deaths Registry had registered 588,972 births, 73.4 per cent of the expected total. That is yearly coverage, not a count of children who already hold a certificate.

Professor Samuel Arday Codjoe, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Development and chairperson of the conference, said a postgraduate study using Ghana Demographic and Health Survey data found that gender, ethnicity, marital status and religion all changed the odds of registration.

He said one striking result was that children born to Muslim mothers were significantly more likely to be registered than those born to Christian mothers, and he asked researchers to test that result with the latest survey.

How to register a birth

Registration is done in the district of birth. The Births and Deaths Registry allows the mother or father, the next of kin of either parent, the occupier of the place of birth, an adult who was present, or a caretaker to register the child.

In the first year, a parent takes the maternal health record book to the district office and gives the child's name, date and place of birth, and the parents' particulars. Nationality has to be backed by a national ID, a passport or a naturalisation certificate.

Its published list then charges GH¢10 for a late registration from one year to five, and GH¢20 after five years. A shorter answer on the same page puts the late-registration penalty at GH¢20.

Parents should confirm the amount at the district office before paying.

Late registration needs proof of the birth, such as a weighing card or a baptismal certificate issued within five years of the birth.

From five years after the Act came into force on October 6, 2020, a birth certificate is a condition for enrolment in pre-school or basic school.

For a Ghana Card at ages six to 14, the National Identification Authority asks for the original birth certificate, a valid Ghanaian passport or a certificate of acquired citizenship. It set the same rule for its Northern Region registration.

With none of those documents, a parent or guardian may swear an oath of identity.

The registry accepts no responsibility for money paid outside its own digital payment platform.

Araba IncoomAraba Incoom writes on multiple topics with a vast knowledge across different sector. You can almost call me an AI, after all, my initials are Araba Incoom.

Only about 61% of Ghanaian children have birth certificates – UNICEF

Suggested for you

More Stories

Pope says in &#8216;fairly good shape&#8217; after lung cancer surgery

Nollywood actor Diewait Ikpechukwu dies at 71

Mining Reforms Must Protect Jobs, Investment and Community Interests — Ghana Chamber of Mines

Nigeria, eight other African countries record 67 yellow fever cases, 18 deaths — WHO

‘I don’t fight for supremacy, but historically, I’m number one’ — Alaafin

District Health Information Management System fully restored &#8211; Health Ministry

Discussion

Pope says in ‘fairly good shape’ after lung cancer surgery

District Health Information Management System fully restored – Health Ministry