Ghana currently has an average parity of 5.6 (GDHS, 2008) which means the average Ghanaian
woman would have more than 5 children by the end of her reproductive period. Ghana like many
other sub-Saharan African countries recognises the value of fertility reduction, hence the
initiation of policies and strategies to make family planning programmes and methods available
to couples and women. Ghana’s fertility rate of 4.0 is still high compared to the global average of
2.5 (United Nations, 2013). Ghana is a nation that puts in much effort to reduce its fertility rate.
It therefore was a step in the right direction to examine the relation polygyny might have on a
woman’s number of children ever born.
The Ghana Demographic and Health Survey (GDHS, 2008) data set was used in this study. It
was shown in the study that polygyny was significantly and positively related to a woman’s
number of children ever born; and polygynous women were found to have a higher number of
children ever born than monogamously married women. Some background characteristics of
women in the study sample such as education, contraceptive use, age at first birth, ethnicity,
wealth index and religion were significantly related to children ever born. The place of residence
of women was not significantly related to marriage type. A bivariate analysis between place of
residence and children ever born showed a significant relationship between the variables, with
rural areas having largest of polygynous wives as compared to urban residence.
The study recommends that literacy programs such as adult education should be prioritized to
enhance contraceptive use in the country and also to provide women with occupational skills for
income generating ventures.