Girls in Ghana face the highest risk of sexual violence at age 15, according to a new national report released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).

The brief draws on data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census and the 2022 Ghana Demographic and Health Survey.

The report was released in November 2025.

The report states that 2.2 per cent of women aged 18 to 29 have ever experienced forced sex.

Most of these incidents took place during childhood. The data show that 81.9 per cent of survivors were assaulted before turning 18, with age 15 recorded as the peak age of first forced sexual encounter.

The Service notes that the pattern reveals the scale of harm facing girls at a stage when schooling, safety and emotional stability should guide their growth.

The brief also shows that sexual violence affects girls across the country. Rural girls report the highest rates of forced sex before age 18, while urban young women report higher rates after turning 18.

The data also show that no demographic group is free from risk. Education level, household wealth, religion and the sex of the household head do not offer protection.

The report states that more than half of survivors live in female-headed households, raising fresh questions about long-held views on safety.

The report adds that six in ten perpetrators are people known to the victims.

These include relatives, partners, neighbours and trusted adults. This pattern, the GSS notes, contributes to silence and underreporting.

GSS describes the situation as a national concern with long-term effects on schooling, mental health, work and general wellbeing.

Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, who signed the report, said the findings should prompt action across public institutions, families and communities.

He called for stronger law enforcement, early detection in schools and health facilities, better support for survivors and targeted prevention in high-risk districts.

“The evidence points to one conclusion. Sexual violence is a national threat that grows in silence,” the brief states. “Protecting girls requires action informed by data, and that action must begin early.”