Ghana spent more than GH¢51 billion importing diesel and petrol in 2025, with petroleum products alone accounting for over one-fifth of the country’s total import bill, according to new data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The figures highlight the continued dominance of energy imports in Ghana’s external trade and the country’s heavy reliance on imported refined petroleum products despite efforts to expand domestic refining capacity.
The GSS 2025 Annual International Merchandise Trade Statistics Report identified diesel imported for the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) as Ghana’s largest import item, valued at GH¢28.46 billion, representing 11.2 per cent of total imports.
Light oils, including motor spirit (super), ranked second, with imports worth GH¢23.24 billion or 9.2 per cent of the national import bill.
Together, diesel and petrol imports amounted to GH¢51.7 billion, accounting for more than 20 per cent of Ghana’s total imports in 2025.
The data suggest that the country’s demand for petroleum products continues to exert significant pressure on foreign exchange reserves and the overall trade balance.
Industry analysts say the figures reinforce the need to strengthen domestic petroleum refining and reduce dependence on imported fuel to improve Ghana’s external sector performance.
Beyond petroleum products, transport equipment remained a major component of the country’s import basket.
Used vehicles with engine capacities between 1,500cc and 3,000cc were the third-largest import item, valued at GH¢9.33 billion.
Crude petroleum ranked fourth at GH¢5.78 billion, while cement clinkers, a key raw material for cement production, were fifth with imports valued at GH¢4.76 billion.
Other major imports included off-highway dumpers, used vehicles with engine capacities between 1,000cc and 1,500cc, self-propelled bulldozers, processed cereal grains and frozen chicken.
According to the GSS report, the top ten imported commodities accounted for 34.3 per cent of Ghana’s total imports, while all other imported goods made up the remaining 65.7 per cent.
Ghana’s overall import bill stood at GH¢253.23 billion in 2025.
The report indicates that energy products, transport equipment and industrial inputs continue to dominate the country’s import profile, reflecting ongoing structural dependence on imported refined petroleum products and capital goods despite investments in local refining, industrialisation and import substitution initiatives.
