MigrantoGhanaian Diaspora
1.1M Ghanaians live abroad — 3% of the population of Ghana
Ghanaian diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 63% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| USA | 258358 |
| Nigeria | 255531 |
| United Kingdom | 154782 |
| Ivory Coast | 97313 |
| Italy | 48828 |
| Togo | 47579 |
| Burkina Faso | 34219 |
| Canada | 26394 |
| Spain | 24178 |
| Benin | 17211 |
| Netherlands | 16779 |
| Belgium | 12780 |
| South Africa | 8409 |
| Australia | 8327 |
| Gabon | 6900 |
| Mali | 6574 |
| Liberia | 6196 |
| China | 3252 |
| Japan | 2838 |
| Denmark | 2801 |
| Niger | 2769 |
| Norway | 2328 |
| Finland | 2142 |
| Senegal | 1892 |
| Sierra Leone | 874 |
| Mexico | 714 |
| Libya | 692 |
| Greece | 646 |
| Brazil | 599 |
| Guinea | 545 |
| Israel | 419 |
| Malta | 349 |
| Hungary | 334 |
| Zambia | 284 |
| Portugal | 245 |
| Mauritania | 240 |
| Lesotho | 203 |
| Iceland | 201 |
| Namibia | 157 |
| Cyprus | 86 |
| Luxembourg | 77 |
| Slovenia | 67 |
| Estonia | 60 |
| Bahamas | 52 |
| Cape Verde | 45 |
| Bulgaria | 40 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 32 |
| Slovakia | 29 |
| Venezuela | 29 |
| Faroe Islands | 27 |
| Bermuda | 20 |
| Bolivia | 17 |
| Saint Lucia | 16 |
| Lithuania | 8 |
| Latvia | 6 |
| Costa Rica | 1 |
By region
46% of the diaspora lives in Africa
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Key facts
The Ghanaian diaspora in numbers
The community in Spain is growing fastest
The number of Ghanaians living in Spain has grown 78% since 2015, from 13.6K to 24.2K.
The share of the diaspora living in Africa has declined since 1990
77.4% of the diaspora lived in Africa in 1990, compared with 46.2% today.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
5 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Spain, Belgium, China. Spain climbed from outside the top 20 to #9.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 37% to 24%.
Ghanaian diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 344686 |
| 1995 | 361700 |
| 2000 | 445447 |
| 2005 | 606700 |
| 2010 | 718300 |
| 2015 | 846131 |
| 2020 | 963019 |
| 2024 | 1055494 |
Largest communities over time
Ghanaians living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | USA | Nigeria | United Kingdom | Ivory Coast | Italy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 19513 | 75322 | 30910 | 128653 | 7398 |
| 1995 | 14619 | 81276 | 40880 | 110059 | 11030 |
| 2000 | 66569 | 90479 | 53658 | 97313 | 15797 |
| 2005 | 78299 | 179834 | 70262 | 97313 | 25496 |
| 2010 | 126455 | 183688 | 92044 | 97313 | 35544 |
| 2015 | 162903 | 222377 | 112694 | 97313 | 42714 |
| 2020 | 210738 | 238284 | 136606 | 97313 | 51085 |
| 2024 | 258358 | 255531 | 154782 | 97313 | 48828 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Ghanaians in each country has changed since the selected year
Ghanaians among immigrants in other countries
Where Ghanaians make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Ghanaians live outside Ghana?
Around 1.1M Ghanaians live abroad, the world's #67 largest diaspora.
Where do most Ghanaians abroad live?
Most Ghanaians live in USA, Nigeria and United Kingdom — these three countries account for about 63% of all Ghanaians living abroad.
Which country has the largest Ghanaian population outside Ghana?
USA is home to the largest Ghanaian community abroad — 258.4K people, about 24% of all Ghanaians living abroad.
What share of the population of Ghana lives abroad?
About 3% of the population of Ghana lives abroad — that's 1.1M out of a total population of 34.4M.
Is the Ghanaian diaspora growing?
Yes — over the past decade, the number of Ghanaians living abroad has grown from 846.1K to 1.1M, about 25%.
Where does the data on the Ghanaian diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Ghana who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
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Living in Ghana
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