The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has clarified that the 5.7% economic growth recorded in 2024 was primarily fueled by increased data and SMS usage in the Information and Communication Services sector, rather than illegal small-scale mining (galamsey), as previously claimed by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson.
Speaking in Parliament on March 11, Government Statistician Professor Samuel Kobina Anim emphasized that the services sector had the largest impact on economic growth, contributing 2.51 percentage points to the overall GDP increase.
“Of the 5.7% GDP growth recorded in 2024, the services sector contributed the most, accounting for 2.51% of the total,” he explained.
He further clarified that the industry sector—including mining and quarrying, which encompasses gold mining—accounted for 2.24% of the GDP growth. Within the services sector, the Information and Communication sub-sector played a leading role, driven by a surge in data and SMS usage.
This revelation contradicts Dr. Forson’s earlier assertion during his 2025 budget presentation that illegal gold mining had been the main driver of economic expansion. The GSS’s data underscores the growing influence of digital services in Ghana’s economic landscape.
