Ghana’s informal cross-border trade sector generated an estimated GH¢31 billion in transactions between January and September 2025, revealing the significant economic role of small-scale traders and unrecorded commercial activities along the country’s borders.
The figure, contained in the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) first extended survey on Informal Cross-Border Trade (ICBT), shows that informal trade with Togo, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire exceeded Ghana’s recorded formal trade with the same neighbouring countries.
According to the report, formal trade earnings with the three countries during the period stood at GH¢20.1 billion, while informal transactions accounted for about 6 per cent of Ghana’s total trade.
The findings highlight the growing influence of border communities and small-scale traders who move goods through various routes outside the formal customs system, supporting livelihoods and sustaining local markets.
Government Statistician, Professor Alhassan Iddrisu, said the exercise was aimed at bringing greater visibility to an important part of Ghana’s economy that had largely remained outside official statistics.
He noted that without accurate data on informal trade, policymakers would struggle to design interventions that effectively support traders, improve border management and enhance regional commerce.
The survey covered 206 active border points connecting Ghana to Togo, Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire across 10 regions.
A total of 676 officers participated in the data collection exercise, using direct observation and interviews with traders to track the movement of goods between January and September 2025.
The report revealed that Ghana’s trade with its neighbours was heavily influenced by informal activities, particularly along the eastern and western borders.
Trade with Togo recorded the highest level of informality, with informal transactions accounting for between 70.5 per cent and 77.8 per cent of total trade between the two countries during the period.
Similarly, informal trade represented more than three-fifths of Ghana’s trade with Côte d’Ivoire across all three quarters under review.
Although Ghana recorded surpluses in both formal and informal trade, the report showed that the informal trade surplus declined significantly from GH¢665.3 million in the second quarter of 2025 to GH¢49.3 million in the third quarter.
The GSS said the findings provide an opportunity to better integrate informal traders into national economic planning, especially as Ghana works to deepen participation in the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
To strengthen the sector, the Service recommended simplifying registration and licensing procedures for small-scale traders, improving infrastructure at border crossings and enhancing cooperation among institutions responsible for trade and border management.
The report also called for increased investment in domestic production and value chains for key commodities such as rice, cooking oil and livestock, which account for a significant portion of informal trade flows.
The GSS said regular measurement of informal cross-border trade would help transform the sector from an overlooked activity into a recognised contributor to economic growth, employment and regional integration.
