Ghana: Majority of Ghanaians Consider Emigration - Young and Educated Most Likely to Look Abroad

21 March 2025
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Maame Akua Amoah Twum and Elena Weinreich

But most say the government should reduce the number of immigrants it allows to enter the country.

Key findings

  • More than half (56%) of Ghanaians say West Africans should be able to move freely across international borders in order to trade or work in other countries. But about four in 10 (42%) think the government should limit people's cross-border movement. o About three-fourths (76%) of respondents say that, in practice, crossing international borders is "difficult" or "very difficult."
  • Fewer than half (46%) of citizens see migrants' economic impacts on Ghana as positive.
  • Majorities say they wouldn't mind living next door to foreign workers or immigrants (77%) or refugees (65%).
  • Even so, seven in 10 Ghanaians (71%) say the government should reduce the number of foreign job seekers it allows to enter the country (53%) or eliminate such immigration altogether (18%). o An even greater majority (82%) favour reducing (53%) or eliminating (29%) entry by refugees.
  • Six in 10 respondents (61%) say they have considered leaving Ghana. o This figure is highest among the most educated citizens (78% of those with post secondary education) and the youth (72% of 18- to 35-year-olds).
  • The most common reasons cited for potential emigration are finding work opportunities (55%) and escaping economic hardship (33%).
  • The most popular destinations among potential emigrants are North America (55%) and Europe (24%).

International migration has surged by 45% over the past two decades, reaching 281 million in 2020 (International Organisation for Migration, 2024). While media narratives often focus on African emigration to the Global North, more than 70% of West African migrants move within the region (Teye, 2022). Ghana reflects this trend, hosting 471,000 immigrants - mainly from neighbouring countries - along with more than 13,000 refugees (Kandilige, Teye, Talleraas, & Gopsill, 2023). At the same time, nearly half of the 1 million Ghanaians abroad reside in Economic Community of West African States member nations, with Nigeria alone hosting a quarter of them (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2022).

Despite these patterns, migration aspirations in Ghana increasingly target the Global North, largely driven by economic factors (Akanle & Ola-Lawson, 2022) as levels of material deprivation in the country rise (CDD-Ghana, 2024). For those who stay home, remittances are crucial, contributing $4.6 billion in 2022 - three times Ghana's official development assistance (Badoe, 2024).

Even as many countries tighten their immigration policies (Akanle, 2018), concerns persist about migrant-rights violations and brain drain, particularly in health care. Ghana loses 400- 500 nurses monthly to emigration, exacerbating staffing shortages (International Council of Nurses, 2024). These trends highlight the complex realities of migration, requiring balanced policy approaches to maximise benefits while mitigating challenges.

Afrobarometer's Round 10 survey sought ordinary Ghanaians' perspectives on migration. A majority of respondents support free movement within West Africa for trade and work, though in practice, many find crossing international borders difficult. Views on the impact of immigration on Ghana's economy are divided, with fewer than half seeing it as beneficial.

Meanwhile, a majority of Ghanaians - including about three-fourths of young and highly educated citizens - have themselves considered emigration, mostly to look for work or escape economic hardship. The most popular destinations are North America and Europe.

Maame Akua Amoah Twum Maame is the communications coordinator for North and Anglophone West Africa at Afrobarometer

Elena Weinreich Elena Weinreich is a research intern at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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