Ghana’s trade performance hit a new high in 2025, with the country recording a trade surplus of GH¢148.3 billion, more than three times what was recorded in 2024, the Ghana Statistical Service has announced.
According to the 2025 Annual International Merchandise Trade Statistics Report released by the Ghana Statistical Service, the country traded GH¢654.7 billion (US$52.5 billion) with the rest of the world last year.
Presenting highlights of the report, Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu said exports reached GH¢401.5 billion, while imports stood at GH¢253.2 billion, resulting in the substantial trade surplus.
The GH¢148.3 billion surplus marks a significant increase from the GH¢44.7 billion recorded in 2024, with the Statistical Service attributing the strong export performance mainly to higher earnings from gold, cocoa and petroleum products.
Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu said exports exceeded imports in every month of 2025, with December recording the highest trade activity of the year. Exports for the month reached GH¢46 billion, generating a monthly trade surplus of GH¢25.8 billion.
Gold remained Ghana’s dominant export commodity, generating GH¢252.4 billion and accounting for nearly 63% of total exports. Cocoa beans and cocoa products contributed GH¢56.2 billion, while crude petroleum generated GH¢35.3 billion.
Together, gold, cocoa and petroleum accounted for nearly 86% of Ghana’s exports, underscoring the concentration of the country’s export earnings in a few major commodities.
On the import side, diesel was the largest individual import product at GH¢28.4 billion, followed by petrol imports worth GH¢23.2 billion. Ghana also imported vehicles, machinery, cement clinkers, rice and other food products.
The report further shows that Ghana expanded its trading footprint in 2025, importing from 216 countries and exporting to 163 countries, both higher than the previous year.
Asia remained Ghana’s largest trading partner, with the United Arab Emirates, India, Switzerland, South Africa and China emerging as the country’s top export destinations. China, meanwhile, remained Ghana’s largest source of imports, supplying machinery, vehicles, iron and steel products, plastics and chemicals.
The data also points to stronger intra-African trade, with Ghana recording a GH¢34.7 billion trade surplus with African countries in 2025. Ghana exported to 51 African countries and imported from 55 countries across the continent.
