On this page
- How many Nigeria-born and Ghana-born people live in the US and Canada?
- Which US states have the most Nigerians and Ghanaians?
- Where do Nigerians and Ghanaians live in Canada?
- How many have arrived since the last census?
- How old are they, and what does it mean for parents at home?
- Sources and important information
How many Nigeria-born and Ghana-born people live in the US and Canada?
The 2024 American Community Survey (ACS) estimated 532,602 Nigeria-born and 222,781 Ghana-born US residents, out of 50.2 million people born abroad.
The ACS is a sample survey, so each figure has a margin of error: plus or minus 26,797 for Nigeria and 13,085 for Ghana in 2024. The Migration Policy Institute, an independent research institute, rounds the same figures to 533,000 and 223,000 and reports that Nigeria is the largest country of origin for sub-Saharan African immigrants in the US, at 21.2% of 2.5 million, with Ghana at 8.9%.
Canada's 2021 census counted 111,465 people born in Nigeria and 29,110 born in Ghana. These counts include temporary residents such as students and workers, not only permanent immigrants.
In both countries the figures count people born in Nigeria or Ghana. Children born in the US or Canada to Nigerian or Ghanaian parents are not included.
| Measure | United States | Canada |
|---|---|---|
| Born in Nigeria | 532,602 (ACS, 2024) | 111,465 (census, 2021) |
| Born in Ghana | 222,781 (ACS, 2024) | 29,110 (census, 2021) |
| New permanent residents, Nigerian | 15,790 green cards (born in Nigeria, FY2023) | 20,395 (Nigerian citizens, 2024) |
| New permanent residents, Ghanaian | 6,910 green cards (born in Ghana, FY2023) | 1,610 (Ghanaian citizens, 2024) |
Which US states have the most Nigerians and Ghanaians?
Texas has the largest Nigeria-born population of any US state, an estimated 111,288 in the 2020 to 2024 ACS, 24% of the national figure for that period.
New York has the largest Ghana-born population, an estimated 40,660. Maryland is in the top three for both groups. State figures come from the five-year ACS, which pools 2020 to 2024 to give more reliable local estimates, so they are lower than the single-year 2024 national figures: the five-year national estimates are 463,953 for Nigeria and 214,530 for Ghana.
| State | Born in Nigeria | Born in Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | 111,288 | 14,419 |
| Maryland | 49,886 | 18,077 |
| California | 36,803 | 8,561 |
| New York | 34,709 | 40,660 |
| Georgia | 31,220 | 10,988 |
| New Jersey | 26,677 | 18,223 |
| Virginia | 7,107 | 17,493 |
| Massachusetts | 9,741 | 12,797 |
Where do Nigerians and Ghanaians live in Canada?
Ontario has the most Nigeria-born and Ghana-born residents in Canada: 55,785 and 18,740 respectively in the 2021 census.
Alberta is second for both. The Prairie provinces stand out for Nigerians: Manitoba (11,235) and Saskatchewan (5,930) each have more Nigeria-born residents than British Columbia (5,040).
By city, Toronto had 34,480 Nigeria-born residents, followed by Calgary (14,525), Winnipeg (9,935), Edmonton (6,815) and Ottawa-Gatineau (6,490). For Ghana, Toronto (14,590) is far ahead of Montreal (2,275), Edmonton (1,935) and Calgary (1,565).
| Province | Born in Nigeria | Born in Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| Ontario | 55,785 | 18,740 |
| Alberta | 23,315 | 4,080 |
| Manitoba | 11,235 | 630 |
| Saskatchewan | 5,930 | 685 |
| Quebec | 5,330 | 2,475 |
| British Columbia | 5,040 | 1,790 |
| Nova Scotia | 2,200 | 330 |
How many have arrived since the last census?
Canada admitted 20,395 Nigerian citizens as permanent residents in 2024 and 16,355 in 2025, according to IRCC, the immigration department.
Nigeria was the fifth largest source country for new permanent residents in both years, after India, the Philippines, China and Cameroon, and has been in the top five every year since 2018. The 2021 census already showed the pace: 40,360 of the 81,290 Nigeria-born immigrants in Canada had arrived between 2016 and 2021.
- Nigerian citizens admitted as permanent residents of Canada: 15,595 in 2021, 22,130 in 2022, 17,465 in 2023, 20,395 in 2024, 16,355 in 2025 and 14,180 from January to August 2026.
- Ghanaian citizens admitted as permanent residents of Canada: 1,055 in 2021, 1,240 in 2022, 1,645 in 2023, 1,610 in 2024, 1,805 in 2025 and 1,955 from January to August 2026.
- IRCC's 2025 report to Parliament lists Nigeria among the five largest source countries for economic immigration in 2024, with 15,440 admissions.
- In the US, 15,790 people born in Nigeria obtained a green card in the 2023 fiscal year, 10,740 of them as immediate relatives of US citizens. For Ghana the figure was 6,910, including 740 through the diversity visa programme.
- The Migration Policy Institute reports that 59% of Nigerian immigrants in the US are naturalised US citizens.
How old are they, and what does it mean for parents at home?
Most Nigerians and Ghanaians in North America are of working age, and few are aged 65 or over.
In Canada's 2021 census, 2,765 of the 111,465 Nigeria-born residents (2.5%) were 65 or over, compared with 3,720 of the 29,110 Ghana-born residents (12.8%). In the US, the Migration Policy Institute reports that 80% of sub-Saharan African immigrants are aged 18 to 64 and 10% are over 65.
A working-age community with parents still in Nigeria or Ghana is the context for most of the practical questions families ask: sending money, arranging care at a distance and planning visits. Our guide to supporting family in Nigeria from the US or Canada covers those in detail.
For families looking after someone in Nigeria, Kinship offers doctor calls and check-ins anywhere in Nigeria, and Kinship Visits, care visits in Lagos by qualified nurses. Ghana is coming soon.
Questions people ask
Which US state has the most Nigerians?
Texas, with an estimated 111,288 Nigeria-born residents in the US Census Bureau's 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, followed by Maryland (49,886) and California (36,803).
Which US state has the most Ghanaians?
New York, with an estimated 40,660 Ghana-born residents in the 2020 to 2024 American Community Survey, followed by New Jersey (18,223) and Maryland (18,077).
Which Canadian city has the most Nigerians?
Toronto, with 34,480 people born in Nigeria in the 2021 census, followed by Calgary (14,525) and Winnipeg (9,935).
How many Nigerians became permanent residents of Canada in 2024?
IRCC admitted 20,395 Nigerian citizens as permanent residents in 2024, making Nigeria the fifth largest source country that year. The figure for 2025 was 16,355.
Do these figures include children born in the US or Canada?
No. Both the American Community Survey place-of-birth table and the Canadian census place-of-birth table count people born in Nigeria or Ghana. Their children born in North America are counted as US or Canadian born.
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Sources
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates, table B05006: Place of birth for the foreign-born population in the United States (read via Census Reporter, November 2026)
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024 5-year estimates, table B05006, by state (read via Census Reporter, November 2026)
- Migration Policy Institute, Migration Information Source: Sub-Saharan African immigrants in the United States, 2025 (2024 ACS data)
- US Department of Homeland Security, Office of Homeland Security Statistics, 2023 Yearbook of Immigration Statistics, Table 10: persons obtaining lawful permanent resident status by class of admission and country of birth, fiscal year 2023
- Statistics Canada, Table 98-10-0302-01: Immigrant status and period of immigration by place of birth and citizenship, 2021 Census, released 26 October 2022
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Permanent Residents: monthly IRCC updates, admissions by country of citizenship, January 2015 to August 2026 (data as of 31 August 2026)
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, 2025 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration, modified 20 November 2025
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