The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) recently published a list of 31 countries whose citizens benefit from Totalisation Agreements with the US. These agreements prevent workers from paying into two social security systems at once and allow them to combine work credits from both countries. The SSA's official international agreements overview reveals that these partnerships span several decades of diplomatic and economic cooperation.
The list of countries covered by the agreements includes Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Slovak Republic, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and Uruguay. Romania is the newest country to join the arrangement, with its agreement coming into force on 1 September 2026.
One notable detail in the SSA's published list is the complete absence of African nations. Countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, and South Africa do not appear anywhere on the roster. This means workers from these nations who move to the United States, or American workers based in those countries, do not benefit from these bilateral social security protections.
For Ghanaians and other Africans working in the US, this means they may be required to contribute to social security systems in both countries without the mechanisms that Totalisation Agreements provide to avoid such overlap or combine work histories when claiming benefits. The absence of African countries from the list has significant implications for workers from these nations.
The SSA's list of countries with Totalisation Agreements serves two core purposes: preventing workers from being taxed into two separate social security systems at the same time, and allowing individuals to combine their work credits earned in both countries to qualify for benefits they might not otherwise access on their own. These agreements have been in place for several decades.
According to Jeffrey Owusu-Mensah, a journalist with Yen.com.gh, the absence of Ghana and other African countries from the list is noteworthy. As the Head of the Entertainment Desk and a graduate of the Ghana Institute of Journalism (GIJ) with over 15 years of experience in journalism, Owusu-Mensah provides insightful analysis on the implications of this exclusion.
The US Social Security Administration's decision to exclude Ghana and other African countries from the list of countries with Totalisation Agreements has significant implications for workers from these nations. The SSA's list is a comprehensive overview of countries with bilateral social security arrangements with the US, and the absence of African countries highlights a notable gap in these protections.
Key points
- The US Social Security Administration has listed 31 countries with bilateral social security agreements, excluding Ghana and other African nations.
- The absence of African countries from the list means workers from these nations may be required to contribute to social security systems in both countries without mechanisms to avoid overlap or combine work histories.
- The SSA's list serves two core purposes: preventing double taxation and allowing individuals to combine work credits to qualify for benefits.
