Ghana- Morrie Bossen

Category: Immigration

Population: 22,931,299
Ethnic Composition: Akan 45.3%, Mole-Dagbon 15.2%, Ewe 11.7%, Ga-Dangme 7.3%, Guan 4%, Gurma 3.6%, Grusi 2.6%, Mande-Busanga 1%, other tribes 1.4%, other 7.8% (CIA World Factbook)
Birth Rate: 29.85 births/1000 people
Death Rate: 9.55 deaths/1000 people
Net migration rate: -0.58 migrants/1000 people

Reasons for emigration: The net migration rate is negative, which means that more people leave Ghana than come in. One possible reason is because in Ghana the risks of catching hepatitis A, typhoid fever, malaria, yellow fever, meningitis, and other diseases are very high. Another reason for emigration could be that the GDP per capita is only $1,400, or less than four dollars per day. The final reason for emigration could be that the unemployment rate is eleven percent, a number significantly higher than that in the United States where the net migration rate is positive.

Reasons for migration: Ghana has a stable democracy with a constitution. Also, Ghana’s per capita output, though very small, is two times bigger than most of its West African neighbors. Also, fighting in neighboring Cote d’Ivoire has driven many people from Cote d’Ivoire to Ghana.

Political and Social Reactions: One effect of the emigration of Ghanaian citizens, mostly to the US, UK, Italy, Germany, and Nigeria, is that there has been what is called a significant “brain drain.” Many of the smartest people in Ghana have left their country in search of a better life. Also, there has been lots of tension between Ghana and Nigeria regarding immigration. Both countries took hard stances against migrants from the opposite country. In fact, for a short time in the 1980s the government of Nigeria banned Ghanaian migrants.