Ashanti People - Modern Ashantis

Modern Ashantis

In modern Ghana, there is no ethnic group or tribe which comprises a majority of the population of the country of Ghana. While the entire Akan population make a plurality 49% of the population, Ashanti, Fante and other Akans make up that percentage. However, it is estimated that Ashanti are 19% of Ghana's population which makes it the largest of the tribes in Ghana, followed by Fante, the Ewe and Ga. The former president John Kufuor is an Ashanti and was elected in part with their support.

Ashanti can be Protestant, Catholic Christians; the major denominations represented are Methodist, Catholic and Anglican, although Pentecostalism is growing in popularity. Islam has also existed in the community through trade, over the centuries the tribes have deeply intermarried. Getting numbers on tribes is dicey because of the issue of recognition of lineage through specific parentage which differ among the many clans that live in the Ashanti kingdom's territories.