Ghana: Forcibly displaced people

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Ghana's forcibly displaced people rose 23.8% on 2024 (from 20,534 to 25,425).

Across the 14 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2024), the average change was +6.4% and a typical year strayed about 31.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 79.9% in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 31.3% in 2016. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 825.56 a year. A straight line explains 33% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2025, Ghana had the 110th highest value of the 169 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Ghana in the 2025 ranking

• Croatia — 107th of 169: 30,182
• Philippines — 108th of 169: 29,974
• Trinidad and Tobago — 109th of 169: 29,102
• Guyana — 111th of 169: 23,465
• Morocco — 112th of 169: 22,337
• North Macedonia — 113th of 169: 20,860

What this measures

Forcibly displaced people are represented by the sum of (1) refugees (and people in a refugee-like situation) under the mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), (2) refugees under the mandate of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), (3) asylum-seekers, (4) other people in need of international protection, and (5) internally displaced people (IDPs). Situations in which people are reported in more than one of these categories are accounted for, to the extent possible.

Limitations: Aggregating data across diverse categories introduces challenges in maintaining comparability and consistency. Variations in data collection methods and definitions—such as differing criteria for refugee or IDP status—can complicate efforts to standardize figures across countries and regions. Additionally, dynamic changes in displacement, including secondary movements or status transitions (e.g., from asylum-seeker to refugee), may lead to double counting or data gaps. The diverse sources of data, ranging from administrative records to field surveys, further underscore the importance of contextualizing and cautiously interpreting the aggregate figures.

All 16 values

Forcibly displaced people in nearby economies

• Angola — 55,657 (2025)
• Benin — 54,921 (2025)
• Botswana — 868 (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 2.11 million (2025)
• Burundi — 119,066 (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 0 (2025)
• Cameroon — 1.38 million (2025)
• Central African Republic — 490,761 (2025)
• Chad — 2.1 million (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 4.88 million (2025)
• Congo, Rep. — 70,609 (2025)

More social protection & labor data for Ghana

• Net migration — -17,079 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 21,050 (2025)
• Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 16,030 (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 28.78% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 33.06% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 30.93% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 57.37% (2025)
• Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Ghana's forcibly displaced people?

25,425 in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2010?

It is up 74.43% from 14,576 in 2010 (3.78% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 26,225 in 2011 and the lowest 11,048 in 2022.

How does Ghana rank?

110th highest of 169 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in forcibly displaced people unusual for Ghana?

In 2025, Ghana's forcibly displaced people rose 23.8% on 2024 (from 20,534 to 25,425). Across the 14 yearly changes before that (2011 to 2024), the average change was +6.4% and a typical year strayed about 31.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SM.POP.FDIP, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Refugee Population Statistics Database, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), uri: https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/download Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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