The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has announced that Ghana’s economy recorded a real GDP growth rate of 6.4 per cent in the first quarter of 2026, up from 6.2 per cent in the same period last year.
According to the data released by the GSS on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, the growth accelerated as price pressures eased sharply, with the GDP deflator falling to 4.1 per cent, while non-oil GDP grew at a broad-based 6.3 per cent, underscoring the resilience of activity beyond the extractive sector.
Presenting the data, the Government Statistician Alhassan Iddrisu, stated that the economy’s performance reflects sustained momentum across most sectors.
The services sector, he noted, remained the largest growth engine, expanding by 7.1 per cent and contributing 48.3 per cent to overall GDP growth.
Within services, Information and Communication surged by 25.2 per cent, making it the fastest-growing sub-sector in the economy. Transport and Storage grew by 13.0 per cent, while Trade, Repair of Vehicles and Household Goods expanded by 9.0 per cent.
However, Accommodation and Food Service Activities contracted by 13.6 per cent, becoming the main drag on the services sector. Health and Social Work also recorded a marginal contraction of 1.0 per cent.
According to him, Industry grew by 6.9 per cent, a significant acceleration from 4.1 per cent recorded in the first quarter of 2025, while the turnaround was driven by Mining and Quarrying, which rebounded to 10.7 per cent growth from 2.7 per cent a year earlier.
He stated that oil and gas also recovered strongly, posting 7.0 per cent growth compared to a contraction of 25.8 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, while Manufacturing grew by 6.2 per cent, and Electricity expanded by 6.2 per cent. Water and Sewerage was the only sub-sector to contract, falling by 3.7 per cent.
According to the GSS, Agriculture grew by 4.0 per cent, down from 6.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2025. Forestry and Logging rebounded sharply to 9.0 per cent from a contraction of 2.5 per cent a year earlier. Crops, including cocoa, grew by 4.7 per cent, while cocoa recorded 3.8 per cent growth.
The GSS explained that fishing, however, contracted by 18.5 per cent, becoming the sole drag on the agricultural sector. Livestock grew marginally by 5.7 per cent.
It added that on a seasonally adjusted basis, real GDP rose by 1.6 per cent compared to the fourth quarter of 2025, signalling sustained momentum into the second quarter.
GIK/APA