Ghana’s economy expanded by 6.4 percent in the first quarter of 2026, marginally higher than the 6.2 percent growth recorded during the same period in 2025, according to newly released Gross Domestic Product (GDP) data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). The data indicate that growth was widespread across the economy, with the non-oil sector growing by 6.3 percent, highlighting the strength of major industries despite ongoing global economic pressures.
The Services sector was the leading driver of economic expansion, recording growth of 7.1 percent and contributing 48.3 percent of total GDP growth. This performance was fueled primarily by significant gains in Information and Communication activities, which grew by 25.2 percent, alongside Transport and Storage at 13.0 percent and Trade at 9.0 percent.
The Industry sector also showed notable improvement, growing by 6.9 percent compared to 4.1 percent in the first quarter of 2025. The increase was largely supported by Mining and Quarrying, which expanded by 10.7 percent, as well as a rebound in the Oil and Gas industry, which recorded 7.0 percent growth.
Agriculture registered a growth rate of 4.0 percent, driven by strong performances in Forestry and Logging, which expanded by 9.0 percent, and Crop Production, which grew by 4.7 percent. However, the sector’s overall performance was dampened by a significant decline in Fishing activities, which contracted by 18.5 percent.
According to the GSS, real GDP increased by 1.6 percent on a seasonally adjusted quarter-on-quarter basis, indicating continued economic momentum. Additional indicators also pointed to sustained growth throughout the quarter, with the Monthly Index of Economic Growth (MIEG) recording 6.1 percent growth in January, 7.7 percent in February, and 5.4 percent in March.
Among the economy’s top-performing sub-sectors were:
- Information and Communication – 25.2%
- Transport and Storage – 13.0%
- Mining and Quarrying – 10.7%
- Trade and Repair of Vehicles – 9.0%
- Forestry and Logging – 9.0%
The weakest-performing sub-sectors included:
- Fishing – -18.5%
- Accommodation and Food Services – -13.6%
- Water and Sewerage – -3.7%
- Real Estate – -3.2%
- Health and Social Work – -1.0%
The GSS identified Information and Communication, Mining and Quarrying, Trade, Crop Production, and Transport and Storage as the principal contributors to economic growth during the first quarter.
Overall, the latest GDP figures indicate that Ghana’s economic recovery remains steady, supported by strong performances in the services, mining, trade and transport sectors, despite continued weaknesses in a number of industries.
