Social Benefits and Losses of Migrating into Cities in Ghana

Abstract

While the literature tends to focus on the economic impacts of migration into cities, there is little understanding of the social gains and losses associated with migration into the city. As cogently noted by Switek (2012), fi nancial domain is not the only life aspect aff ected by migration. This briefi ng for policy makers provides evidence on the social counterfactuals (i.e. gains and losses) of migration from rural areas to cities in Ghana. It is based on the study ‘Migration into Cities in Ghana: An Analysis of the Counterfactual’ which was conducted by Migrating out of Poverty Research Programme Consortium at the University of Ghana in collaboration with the University of Sussex. The briefi ng argues that migration to the city can aff ect migrants and their households in relation to marriage, child birth, education, and psychological wellbeing. It also argues that these social outcomes of migration into the city can be either positive or negative, depending on particular contexts. And fi nally, it draws attention to policy implications of the social benefi ts and problems of migrating into cities in Ghana.