Ghana Sees 5.5% Economic Growth

Ghana’s economy experienced a growth of 5.5 per cent in the third quarter (Q3) of 2025, a slowdown compared to the 7.0 per cent recorded during the same period last year, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) revealed on Wednesday.

This indicates a reduced rate of production of goods and services compared to the previous year. The GSS data provides a snapshot of the economic performance between July and September 2025.

Dr Iddrisu Alhassan, the Acting Government Statistician, highlighted the continued growth in the agricultural sector following its recovery in the first quarter of 2025. “This is good news for farmers and food prices,” he added.

According to the GSS, agriculture expanded by 8.6 per cent, a significant increase from the 2.5 per cent growth seen in Q3 2024. Notably, the fishing sub-sector led this expansion, surging by 23.1 per cent, a stark contrast to the 6.4 per cent contraction recorded in Q3 2024.

The industrial sector, however, saw a more modest growth of 0.8 per cent in Q3 2025, down from 11.4 per cent in the same quarter of 2024. A substantial decline in the oil and gas sector, with a drop of 18.2 per cent, was cited as a major contributing factor.

Despite the challenges in oil and gas, the manufacturing sector demonstrated resilience, growing by 3.9 per cent, albeit lower than the 7.4 per cent recorded in Q3 2024. This growth is linked to increased power production supporting industrial activity.

Dr Alhassan identified Information and Communication, Crops, Trade, Transport and Storage, Manufacturing, and Education as the primary drivers of GDP growth in Q3 2025, collectively accounting for approximately 86 per cent of the overall 5.5 per cent expansion.

Seasonally adjusted figures show Ghana’s provisional real GDP increased by 1.3 per cent in Q3 2025, compared to 1.6 per cent in Q3 2024.

The top five expanding sub-sectors were fishing (23.1 per cent), Information & Communication (17.0 per cent), Transport and Storage (10.4 per cent), Trade (10.0 per cent), and Crops (8.3 per cent).

Conversely, five sectors experienced contractions: Oil & Gas (-18.2 per cent), Mining & Quarrying (-2.8 per cent), Health & Social Work (-9.7 per cent), Accommodation & Food Service Activities (-7.2 per cent), and Other Personal Services (-3.5 per cent).

Dr Alhassan advised households to prioritize skills development in high-growth sectors, specifically mentioning Fishing, ICT, and Trade, to capitalize on emerging employment opportunities. “Optimise household budgets amidst disinflation: Capitalise on decelerating inflation, particularly in food prices, to increase real savings and enhance purchasing power,” he urged.

For businesses, he recommended prioritizing investment in key growth areas like Agriculture (Fishing, Crops) and Services (ICT, Transport & Storage) to maximize returns. He also encouraged innovation and adaptation within contracting industries such as Oil & Gas and Accommodation & Food Services.

The Government Statistician called on the government to sustain and amplify support for leading sectors, implementing targeted policies to further boost Agriculture (Fishing, Crops) and Services (ICT, Trade, Transport & Storage). He also stressed the need for mitigation measures to address the contractions in Oil & Gas and Mining & Quarrying to stabilize the industrial base and non-oil GDP.

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