Economy

Speaking at the Ghana–Zambia Business Dialogue in Lusaka, President John Dramani Mahama announced that Ghana is firmly on track to conclude its current International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme by April 2026. The President highlighted a resurgence in investor confidence and significant improvements in key macroeconomic indicators as proof that the nation’s recovery is taking hold. But as the country prepares to close the chapter on this $3 billion Extended Credit Facility,

It sounds like a paradox: Global cocoa prices hit record highs in 2024, peaking at over $12,000 per ton. Yet, instead of celebrating a windfall, Ghana’s COCOBOD (Cocoa Board) is grappling with a historic financial crisis, nursing a debt of over 30 billion cedis. How does a country lose money when its primary export is selling at its highest price in history? In a revealing interview, Dr. Ransford Abbey, the new CEO of COCOBOD, exposed the intricate "double whammy" of debt, op

We hit a major milestone in September 2025 with the first single-digit inflation since 2021 (9.4%), followed by a dip to 5.4% in December. Now, as of January 2026, it’s hit a remarkable 3.8%. But shopping at Makola or Kejetia market has you wondering: “If the numbers are dropping, why are my expenses still so high? The answer lies in a simple but often misunderstood economic truth: A falling inflation rate is not the same as falling prices. Why inflation does not result in fa

We hit a major milestone in September 2025 with the first single-digit inflation since 2021 (9.4%), followed by a dip to 5.4% in December. Now, as of January 2026, it’s hit a remarkable 3.8%. But shopping at Makola or Kejetia market has you wondering: “If the numbers are dropping, why are my expenses still so high? The answer lies in a simple but often misunderstood economic truth: A falling inflation rate is not the same as falling prices. Why inflation does not result in fa

Have you ever looked at a receipt and realized the numbers didn't add up? Now, imagine that receipt is for an entire country's economy, and the missing amount is $54.1 billion . According to the new "Trade-Related Illicit Financial Flows in Africa, 2013–2022"  report released by Global Financial Integrity in January 2026, this is the reality for Ghana. The report highlights how "trade misinvoicing": misreporting the value of imports and exports is draining billions from the

2026 began with a bang for Ghanaian drivers.  What started as a competitive tussle between oil giants GOIL and Star Oil has spiraled into a full-blown price war. For the first time in a long while, we saw fuel prices drop to single digits, under GH¢10 per litre. The competition has gotten so fierce that GOIL, in a bid to win over drivers, has gone as far as serving free breakfast to customers at the pumps. With Star Oil leading the race in Cost Leadership, it's CEO dropped a

Across Ghana, getting water to flow consistently through household taps remains a major challenge. While some communities experience more severe shortages than others, the issue affects daily life nationwide. The situation is especially bad in the Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area (ATMA) . In a recent interview, the Managing Director of GWCL, Adam Mutawakilu , gave some eye-opening figures about the "bottleneck" in the capital. His data shows a massive gap between the water the ci

Introduction Ghana has reached a pivotal moment in its economic recovery. Under the watchful eye of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the government has recently concluded a $1.47 billion payment  aimed at settling legacy debts within the energy sector. But how did the "Gate of Africa" find itself in a billion-dollar "Take-or-Pay" trap? Breaking down Ghana's Legacy Energy Debt Settlement The Roots of the Crisis: From Dumsor to Debt Between 2012 and 2016, Ghana suffered

The Ghana Stock Exchange (GSE) had a historic year in 2025, solidifying its place as the second-best performing stock market in Africa . This has proven that local investments can outpace inflation and build real wealth. If you had GH₵1,000  sitting in a savings account at the start of 2025, you might be surprised to see what that money could have grown into by the end of the year. Based on data from the Ghana Stock Exchange, 2025 was a year of massive growth for several loca

After weeks of a strengthening Cedi and falling global oil prices, the "price reduction" we all hoped for has finally arrived. This morning, both GOIL and Star Oil made official announcements of major cuts at the pumps. GOIL Prices Today:  Petrol · ₵10.99  | Diesel · ₵11.96 Star Oil Prices Today:  Petrol · ₵10.56  | Diesel · ₵11.56 We at Finex Insights  looked back at the data from the past year, comparing the pump prices of Star Oil and GOIL. The infographic below illustrate

Introduction Cryptocurrency use in Ghana has grown steadily over the past decade, driven by mobile money adoption, cross-border payments, inflation concerns, and a digitally savvy youth population. Until recently, however, crypto activity operated largely in a regulatory grey zone. That is changing. Crypto in Ghana. What the new law means for you. In December 2025, Ghana passed the Virtual Asset Service Providers (VASPs) Bill , marking a major shift from informal usage to str

If you look at the Ghanaian economy from a distance, you see a bustling hive of activity. But when you zoom in on the numbers, a fascinating and slightly worrying paradox emerges. Data from the 2024 Integrated Business Establishment Survey (IBES) Volume 2  released by the Ghana Statistical Service, and the data tells a story. As illustrated in our latest infographic below, Micro and Small businesses are carrying the weight of the nation's workforce , yet they are barely scrat

As visualized by Finex Insights, Africa holds about 60% of the world’s solar resources . Yet, in 2025, Africa receives less than 3% of global energy investment , according to the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) . At the same time, over 600 million Africans still live without electricity . This is Africa’s solar investment paradox. So why does a continent overflowing with sunshine struggle to attract investment in energy infrastructure? The answer is not one thing, b

Based on the latest PwC Ghana Banking Survey 2025 , the total deposit pool in Ghana's banking sector has surged to GHC266.73 billion . This represents a massive 32.2% increase from 2023. PwC 's survey is based on 20 participating banks out of the 23 licensed banks in Ghana . While the rankings, topped by EBG (14.3%)  and GCB (13.0%) , are grabbing headlines, a simple list doesn't tell the whole story. We've analyzed the data to find the three biggest insights you need to kn

A 2024 report from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) reveals a central paradox at the heart of Ghana's economy. Informal Sector:  Employs 80%  of the workforce, yet produces only 27%  of the country's GDP. Formal Sector:  Employs only 20%  of the workforce, yet produces a staggering 73%  of the GDP. This is the core challenge: the vast majority of working Ghanaians are busy, but this effort is not translating into national wealth. The report itself notes that this imbalance

The 2026 Budget Statement, themed "Resetting for Growth, Jobs, and Economic Transformation," has been laid before Parliament. To understand the government's core priorities for the year, the clearest story is told by following the money. An analysis of the 2026 allocations reveals a dual focus: a massive, continued investment in human capital (Education and Health) and a significant new injection of funds into national security and physical infrastructure. The "Big 5": What A

Every day, countless trucks move across the borders of West Africa, loaded with goods. But what exactly is inside? A new 2025 report from the OECD, "Intra-regional Food Trade in West Africa,"  provides a clear answer. This trade is the lifeblood of the region's economy and ensures that food gets from where it's grown to where it's needed most. While this trade is far larger than many assume: estimated to be a $10 billion industry that is up to 85% unrecorded, an important sto

Between 2022 and 2023, Ghana experienced one of its sharpest inflationary surges in recent years. Despite significant pay increases for public sector workers of up to 30% in 2023, inflation soared above 38%, effectively erasing real income gains. This analysis compares public sector salary increments against annual inflation trends to show how workers’ purchasing power has evolved over the last decade. Comparing Salary Increments of Public Sector Workers with Annual Inflation

Introduction: The Bank of Ghana (BoG) has quietly executed one of Africa’s most ambitious reserve diversification strategies. Between May 2023 and October 2025 , the central bank’s gold holdings surged from 8.78 tonnes to 38.04 tonnes , marking a 333% increase  in just 29 months. Bank of Ghana Gold Reserves Background: In response to global currency volatility and Ghana’s own foreign-exchange pressures, the BoG launched a gold purchase programme under the Domestic Gold Purcha

Ghana’s inflation rate has cooled to 8% in October 2025 , the lowest level since early 2021, according to the Ghana Statistical Service. It marks the tenth straight month of decline , capping a dramatic reversal from the 23.8% recorded in December 2024. But beyond the numbers lies a more meaningful story for households: prices aren’t necessarily dropping. They’ve just stopped climbing so fast.  After years of unpredictable jumps, this stability feels like the first real relie