Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Ghana
Ghana: Personal remittances and foreign aid received was 1.96 billion current US$ in 2021. ◆ Volatile
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Ghana, 1979–2021
Source: World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in current US$.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 1.96 billion current US$ for personal remittances and foreign aid received in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 54.4% on the previous year and down 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, personal remittances and foreign aid received in Ghana peaked at 4.98 billion current US$ in 2015 and was at its lowest, 500,000 current US$, in 1983.
That places Ghana 66th out of 193 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Ghana, year by year
| Year | current US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 1.27 million current US$ | — |
| 1980 | 900,000 current US$ | -29.3% |
| 1981 | 1.40 million current US$ | +55.6% |
| 1982 | 1.50 million current US$ | +7.1% |
| 1983 | 500,000 current US$ | -66.7% |
| 1984 | 4.70 million current US$ | +840.0% |
| 1985 | 4.20 million current US$ | -10.6% |
| 1986 | 600,000 current US$ | -85.7% |
| 1987 | 700,000 current US$ | +16.7% |
| 1988 | 6.00 million current US$ | +757.1% |
| 1989 | 6.00 million current US$ | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 6.00 million current US$ | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 6.20 million current US$ | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 7.30 million current US$ | +17.7% |
| 1993 | 10.10 million current US$ | +38.4% |
| 1994 | 15.70 million current US$ | +55.4% |
| 1995 | 17.21 million current US$ | +9.6% |
| 1996 | 27.50 million current US$ | +59.8% |
| 1997 | 26.00 million current US$ | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 29.50 million current US$ | +13.5% |
| 1999 | 30.70 million current US$ | +4.1% |
| 2000 | 32.40 million current US$ | +5.5% |
| 2001 | 45.91 million current US$ | +41.7% |
| 2002 | 43.52 million current US$ | -5.2% |
| 2003 | 65.10 million current US$ | +49.6% |
| 2004 | 82.37 million current US$ | +26.5% |
| 2005 | 99.18 million current US$ | +20.4% |
| 2006 | 105.25 million current US$ | +6.1% |
| 2007 | 117.36 million current US$ | +11.5% |
| 2008 | 126.11 million current US$ | +7.4% |
| 2009 | 114.46 million current US$ | -9.2% |
| 2010 | 135.85 million current US$ | +18.7% |
| 2011 | 2.13 billion current US$ | +1471.3% |
| 2012 | 2.16 billion current US$ | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.86 billion current US$ | -13.5% |
| 2014 | 2.01 billion current US$ | +7.7% |
| 2015 | 4.98 billion current US$ | +148.2% |
| 2016 | 2.98 billion current US$ | -40.2% |
| 2017 | 3.54 billion current US$ | +18.7% |
| 2018 | 3.52 billion current US$ | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 4.05 billion current US$ | +15.1% |
| 2020 | 4.29 billion current US$ | +5.9% |
| 2021 | 1.96 billion current US$ | -54.4% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 1.96 billion current US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 650.39 million current US$, 3.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 1.96 billion current US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 318.64 million current US$, 6.1× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Ghana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | +1471.3% | 135.85 million current US$ | 2.13 billion current US$ |
| 1984 | +840.0% | 500,000 current US$ | 4.70 million current US$ |
| 1988 | +757.1% | 700,000 current US$ | 6.00 million current US$ |
| 2015 | +148.2% | 2.01 billion current US$ | 4.98 billion current US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.27 million current US$ | 1.27 million current US$ | 1.27 million current US$ | 1 |
| 1980s | 2.65 million current US$ | 500,000 current US$ | 6.00 million current US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 17.62 million current US$ | 6.00 million current US$ | 30.70 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 83.17 million current US$ | 32.40 million current US$ | 126.11 million current US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.74 billion current US$ | 135.85 million current US$ | 4.98 billion current US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.12 billion current US$ | 1.96 billion current US$ | 4.29 billion current US$ | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More reference data data for Ghana
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2805 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1989 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9405 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9478 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.08 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is personal remittances and foreign aid received in Ghana?
- Personal remittances and foreign aid received in Ghana was 1.96 billion current US$ in 2021, according to World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 4.98 billion current US$ in 2015.
- What is the lowest personal remittances and foreign aid received recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 500,000 current US$ in 1983.
- How does Ghana rank for personal remittances and foreign aid received?
- Ghana ranks 66th out of 193 countries with data for 2021.
- Is personal remittances and foreign aid received rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank based on International Monetary Fund balance of payments data (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Personal remittances and foreign aid received. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Remittances are financial transfers from non-residents to residents of a country, such as a worker abroad sending money to family and friends. Foreign aid is measured as official development assistance. Both are measured in current US$.