The Akan people are found mainly in the southern half of Ghana and in neighbouring Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) on Ghana's western border.
Population estimates available on March 2007 show that Ghana had a population of 22,409,572 people of which 49.1% (approximately 11,003,000) were Akans, and that Cote d'Ivoire had a population of 17,654,843 people of which 42.1% (approximately 7,433,000) were Akans.
Although the Akan people of West Africa share common customs, cultural practices and religious beliefs, they are divided into dozens of tribes. Each tribe speaks its own dialect or version of Akan language, most of which are easily understood by other Akans.
The Akan tribes of Ghana (with percentage of the total Ghanaian population in brackets) include the Agona (1.4%), Ahafo (1.1%), Ahanta (1.5%), Akuapem (2.9%), Akwamu (0.6%), Akyem (3.4%), Aowin (0.6%), Asante (14.8%), Assin (0.8%), Brong (4.6%), Chokosi (0.4%), Denkyira (0.5%), Evalue (0.1%), Fante (9.9%), Kwahu (1.9%), Nzema (1.2%), Sefwi (1.2%) and Wassa (1.4%).
The Akan tribes of Cote d'Ivoire are mainly the Baoule and Agni (same as Aowin in Ghana), along with much smaller numbers of Abbe, Abidji, Aboure, Abron (same as Brong in Ghana), Adjukru, Akye, Alladian, Attie, Avikam, Ebrie, Ehotile and Nzema.
Although Akans in Ghana are found mainly in the southern half of the country, there are Akans living in each of the country's ten regions. As of 2000, the Akan percentage of the regional populations were Central Region (82.0%), Western Region (78.3%), Ashanti Region (77.9%), Brong-Ahafo Region (62.7%), Eastern Region (52.1%), Greater Accra Region (39.8%), Northern Region (10%), Volta Region (8.5%), Upper West Region (3.2%), Upper East Region (2.3%).
