Understanding Rural-Urban Migration in Ghana

In recent times, the African continent has witnessed an influx of people from rural areas to urban areas in search of greener pastures. This inflow of people from villages and small towns to cities and megacities is called rural-urban migration. Ghana, one of West Africa’s biggest economies and populations, has over the years witnessed a continuous rise in rural-urban migration. According to a survey by Statista, from the year 2007 to 2022, rural-urban migration has tremendously led to an increase in the urban population, leaving the rural areas with only about 42.01% of Ghana’s total population. Today, more than 57% of Ghanaians live in the cities and towns, and this teeming population of rural influx in urban areas has continued undeterred as more people are leaving the rural communities for the big cities to live and work.

Why are Ghanaians leaving rural areas?

Rural-urban migration is a global trend; in fact, in 2022, the Institute for Economics & Peace predicted that by 2050, 70% of the world’s population would live in megacities. According to the World Population Review, the population of Ghana is estimated to be 33 million, a large percentage of whom are concentrated in the west-central and southern parts of the country, where most of the major cities like Accra, Kumasi, Sekondi-Takoradi, Sunyani, and Cape Coast lie. The rural areas have continuously witnessed their populace moving down south into the major cities, mostly for economic reasons—to get greener pastures. The pull and push factors are the differences in wages between rural and urban centers. Living and working in the rural areas of Ghana can be very challenging: low income, a lack of social amenities, a poor road network, and the inaccessibility of the latest technical equipment and know-how all slow down work and productivity. But in the big cities, all of these are provided for, plus many more. The standard of living is way higher there; young people living in the rural areas are pushed away by the inadequacy of these and are pulled into the urban areas by their availability and abundance. In the big cities, there are better job opportunities, so they earn more, and they have access to social amenities such as good roads, a better transportation system, portable water, and better housing structures. They also have access to better education, healthcare, and an overall higher standard of living.

Social status development is another driving force behind rural-urban migration in Ghana. Those who live in urban areas tend to have a higher social status than those living in rural areas. This social awareness and lifestyle in major cities are critical to the development of the youth’s social status. This has significantly improved the lives of the youth in rural areas, and they in turn are gradually improving the lives of the communities in which they came from by giving back and sharing ideas learned from the major cities.

Politics has also played a major role in rural-to-urban migration. Cities contain the political connections that any politician seeking to advance their political career requires. Because grass-roots politics aren’t as effective as those in the cities, some of the populace migrates to the cities to participate in political matters.

Environmental degradation, climate change, and the worsening living conditions in rural areas have spurred an increase in rural-urban migration in Ghana. The residents just want to escape these hardships, so they seek refuge in the cities, where things are a bit different.

What are the impacts of rural-urban migration in Ghana?

Rural-urban migration in Ghana has significantly impacted the Ghanaian economy. With more than half of the country’s population living in the cities, the economy of this west African nation is without a doubt impacted by these movements of people from the rural areas and their agglomeration in the major cities.

On a positive note, the effects are numerous: Ghana has a high population of vibrant young people, and their movement from rural areas to urban areas for economic purposes has led to the urbanisation of cities and towns. Their large population has provided the needed manpower to drive economic productivity in cities; the ripple effect is their significant contribution to the development of their rural communities. These migrants send monetary remittances from cities to rural areas, which have been used to replicate some of the economic activities and social services that cities provide, such as healthcare.This has contributed to creating employment opportunities for residents.

The movement of people from the agriculturally driven sector of the rural communities to other sectors of higher productivity in the cities, such as secondary and tertiary industries such as manufacturing and services, has also remarkably contributed to economic growth for migrants from these rural areas.

Rural dwellers have also felt the impact of the politics brought forth by migrants into their local communities; developmental projects have continued to spring up here and there in these communities, thereby contributing to social and economic development.

Migrants from rural areas are also playing a crucial role in their communities as agents of social change. Rural areas have greatly benefited from the ideas of urban areas, such as innovative technologies, girl child education, family planning, human rights protection, and healthcare, brought forth by these migrants from the cities. This diffusion of ideas from urban to rural areas has also brought about the intermixing of cultures and traditions among people from diverse societies.

The negative impacts of rural-urban migration are without scruples; unfortunately, both sides are hit by these demerits. The rural areas have continued to witness natural resource depletion, brain drain, manpower losses, a lack of development due to abandonment, and the deterioration of the rural economy.

Vibrant young people are leaving rural areas in droves, depleting the community of intuitive thinkers who could have caused significant change if they had stayed to develop their communities; manpower needed for menial activities and agriculture is also deprived the rural communities due to migration; natural resources continue to be depleted due to indiscriminate exploitation; and the communities lag behind in growth and development due to excessive inequity.The absence of physically fit young people to drive economic growth and development in rural areas has led to the deterioration of rural economies.

The urban areas are also hard hit by this excessive migration from the rural areas. Overpopulation of the cities has resulted in congestion, unregulated urban expansion, a stretch on social amenities, insufficient transport infrastructure, environmental pollution, and urban slums. The available resources are also stretched, causing limited access to social services and public infrastructure by the populace. The redundancy of migrants who are unqualified to carry out some tasks in urban centres has also led to an increased crime rate and social unrest.

Has rural-urban migration reduced poverty in Ghana?

Ghana, despite being a top exporter of cocoa, gold, and oil to large global markets such as China, India, Switzerland, South Africa, the United Arab Emirates, and the Netherlands, is still faced with the problem of a high poverty rate. According to Global Citizen, in 2022, around 3.4 million people in Ghana will be living in extreme poverty—living on less than $1.90 a day—and the bulk of that population will reside in the rural areas. According to Statista, about 350,000 people living in urban areas in Ghana are living in extreme poverty, and these are mostly migrants from rural areas. These former rural residents were hoping to escape the poverty of their communities by moving to cities, where they could find greener pastures, earn higher wages, and return to help develop their communities. But their increasing influx into the cities has led to a higher number of poor people in urban areas and an increase in urban slums. According to Migrating Out of Poverty, urban slums in Ghana are characterised by a dense population, unsafe buildings, overcrowded and unsanitary conditions, and a lack of basic social conveniences such as portable water, sanitation, and health. Ghanaians trying to escape poverty have now found themselves living in even worse conditions in the midst of plenty—the cities.

Rural-urban migration has increased the level of poverty in the urban areas of Ghana. The influx of people from rural communities into the cities has caused a strain on the available resources and social convenience, overcrowding, increased pollution, and environmental degradation notwithstanding. The ever-expanding slums in the cities have led to an increase in crime rates; in very unhygienic conditions, they have become the face of poverty in Ghanaian cities. High demand for agricultural produce for consumption has also led to its scarcity in the city; this is exacerbated by the outflow of able-bodied young people from rural areas, who were the main factors in carrying out agricultural activities for export of farm produce to the cities. Hardworking, able-bodied migrants from rural areas have also taken over the jobs that would have been given to city dwellers, thereby causing a rise in unemployment for city dwellers. Rural-urban migrants barely contribute to developmental projects and investments in the urban areas; monies earned in the cities are used for consumption, conspicuous spending, and debt repayment rather than savings or investments. Though they contribute to the host urban economy, a good number of migrants make monetary remittances to their source communities to cater for their loved ones, set up communal development projects, and start up light industries.

Rural-urban migration has also positively impacted the economies of the cities in Ghana. Migrants from rural areas provide cheap labor, which has filled the skilled gap and brought about the development of structures and the running of businesses in the cities. Their presence in the service industry is worthy of note, boosting the local economy. Migrants have greatly contributed to commerce in urban areas; their indulgence in petty trade and small-scale economic activities cannot be overemphasized. Higher population in the cities has led to higher demands for goods and services, thus increasing economic activity. The increased population needed for the market to thrive in the cities has also led to an increase in government revenues. Urban slums, though they look impoverished, are also a hub for petty economic activities. Migrants who are already established in urban slums also employ newer migrants from rural areas for menial jobs and any economic activities where their hands are needed. The little wealth that flows into urban slums is circulated within the slums and out to the rural communities from which it originated.

A large number of Ghana’s population lives in rural areas; in fact, they make up 42.01% of the entire population as of 2022, according to Statista. But rural communities in Ghana have over the years been neglected by the local, state, and federal governments, which has resulted in their slow pace of growth, development, and economic progress. Agriculture, which is the main activity in rural areas, has experienced decline over the years, despite the high demand for food and agricultural produce for industrial production. Lack of funds for farmers, climate change, and environmental degradation have hindered the development of agriculture. The continuous movement of young people from rural areas into the cities, thereby leading to a loss of capable hands, has further deteriorated agriculture. Rural light industries and small and medium-sized businesses have also been impacted. The rural economy has been grossly affected, and wage differentials leading to the continuous exodus of its populace have weakened it even further. Rural-urban migration’s adverse effect on rural areas is greatly felt at home and heard of in the city. Whatever is left in the villages and rural communities is being managed by those who have decided not to flee to the cities but stay back; their lack of exposure and expertise in business enterprise, as well as funds and tools in the form of machinery to carry out large-scale agricultural activities, has impeded the growth of the rural economy. The only escape out of this quagmire is outside help—help from the government and relevant stakeholders.

Migrants from these communities who occasionally send remittances from the city to cater for their loved ones and carry out basic economic activities have done their part, but more is needed to really put the economy of rural areas back on its feet. The continuous neglect of rural areas would lead to continuous rural-urban migration, overpopulation in urban areas, strain on urban resources and social amenities, pollution, environmental degradation, urban slum expansion, civil unrest, and a high crime rate. Unless something is done to improve the rural areas, Ghanaian cities will continue to feel the impact of poverty in the rural areas.

The development of rural areas and communities comprises a very important sector of a nation’s economy. Rural-urban migration in Ghana isn’t a choice but a chance rural dwellers have to take for survival. Rural areas have the potential for rapid growth and development. The government of the day needs to come up with well-thought-out plans that would be strategically implemented to bring about an improvement in the lives of people living in rural areas. The agricultural sector, which is the mainstay of rural communities, needs to be revived. Agricultural policies by the government and sustainable farming practises by farmers that enhance resilience in the face of climate change need to be implemented. The government can also assist in the resuscitation of the agriculture sector in rural areas by boosting irrigation, encouraging increased use of fertilizers, developing high-yield crops, adopting genetically modified crops, employing information technology, and improving market access and regulations.

Social amenities and conveniences such as portable water, a good road network, better structures, healthcare, and human rights protection need to be put in place in rural areas. Quality education should also be given top priority; this is the main driver of development in any society. The inclusion of rural areas in politics and decision-making needs to be considered and implemented. Social development programs, youth empowerment, and better opportunities need to reach people at the grassroots. Technological innovations also need to get to these areas to improve businesses, agriculture, healthcare, banking and finance, infrastructure, and the general well-being of the people. A proper balance between rural and urban economic and social opportunities needs to be restored. When these and many more are provided for in the rural areas, the exodus of young people from these communities to the big cities would be greatly reduced. This would also lead to a reduction in overcrowding in urban areas, strain on urban resources and social amenities, pollution, environmental degradation, urban slum expansion, civil unrest, and a high crime rate. Rural economies would thrive; commerce between the cities and villages would flourish; agriculture in rural areas would provide the basic raw materials for industrial use in the cities and food for commercial and subsistence consumption.

Rural-urban migration may have lifted many people from the hardships faced in the rural areas, but it has not really addressed the issues of extreme poverty in Ghana. At best, it has greatly improved the economy of the cities by transitioning them to large cities and has raised the status of rural dwellers in terms of wages, politics, education, healthcare, and social standing.

References

Betty Kankam-Boadu (2022). 5 Key Issues That Matter Most to Young People in Ghana. Global Citizen, retrieved from https://bit.ly/3jRvThc

Doris Dokua Sasu (2023). Number of people living in extreme poverty in Ghana from 2016 to 2023, by area. Statista, retrieved from https://bit.ly/3K48OT3

Mariama Awumbila, George Owusu, & Joseph Kofi Teye (2014). Evidence from Ghana. Can Rural-Urban Migration into Slums Reduce Poverty?. Migrating out of Poverty, Working Paper 13, PDF file available at https://bit.ly/40PXzUo

Population of Cities in Ghana 2023. World Population Review, retrieved at https://bit.ly/3lyAKEE

The World Bank (2015). Poverty Reduction in Ghana: Progress and Challenges. Retrieved from https://bit.ly/3Xt85y7

Joshua Imoikor

Geographer, environmental enthusiast, and a social scientist. He is concerned with human activities and their impact on the environment. A lover of history, natural sciences and the arts. A graduate of Geography and Environmental Management from the University of Abuja, Nigeria.