Ghana’s economy expands by 6.8% in August 2026, driven by Services sector

Ghana’s economy recorded a 6.8 percent growth in August 2026, up from 5.3 per cent in the same period last year, driven largely by strong performance in the services sector.

Data from the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) August 2026 Monthly Indicator of Economic Growth (MIEG) shows that the services sector remained the biggest contributor to economic expansion, accounting for 69.9 per cent of total growth.

The sector expanded by 10.7 per cent during the period, compared with 7.1 per cent in August 2025, with information and communication activities leading the growth.

Industry also recorded an improvement, growing by 4.5 per cent, up from 0.8 per cent a year earlier. The performance was largely supported by manufacturing, alongside mining and quarrying activities.

However, growth in agriculture slowed significantly to 2.6 per cent in August, compared with 8.6 per cent in the same period last year and 3.7 per cent in July 2026.

The latest figures indicate that services contributed 4.8 percentage points to the overall 6.8 per cent growth, while industry accounted for 1.4 percentage points. Agriculture contributed 0.5 percentage points, with net taxes accounting for the remaining 0.1 percentage point.

The Government Statistician, Alhassan Iddrisu, said the monthly indicator provides an early assessment of economic performance ahead of the publication of quarterly Gross Domestic Product (GDP) figures.

The MIEG data further shows that economic activity grew by 7 per cent in July 2026, although the figure was revised downward from an earlier estimate of 7.4 per cent following the availability of additional data.

The August performance brings the average growth recorded in July and August to 6.9 per cent, providing an early indication of economic activity in the third quarter of 2026.

The Ghana Statistical Service says the monthly indicator has consistently tracked quarterly GDP performance, with both measures recording 6 per cent growth in the second quarter of 2026.

The August figures are provisional and subject to revision as additional data become available.

The next MIEG release, covering September 2026, is expected in the second week of December.