Rising costs in mining and energy-related activities pushed Ghana’s producer price inflation to 4.4 per cent in August 2026, up from four per cent recorded in July, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has reported.
The 0.4 percentage-point increase in the Producer Price Index (PPI) reflected stronger price pressures across key productive sectors, particularly mining and quarrying, as well as electricity and gas services.
The month-on-month producer inflation also increased to 2.5 per cent in August from two per cent in July, pointing to a renewed acceleration in the cost of producing goods and services.
According to the August PPI report, the mining and quarrying sector was the largest contributor to the annual producer inflation, accounting for 43.7 per cent of the overall increase.
Crude oil and natural gas extraction recorded inflation of 12.9 per cent year-on-year, while mining support service activities increased by 5.7 per cent and other mining and quarrying activities rose by 5.6 per cent.
Mining of metal ores was the only mining subsector to record a decline, contracting by 0.4 per cent.
Industry, excluding construction, recorded a significant increase in producer inflation, rising to 6.3 per cent in August from 5.6 per cent in July.
Electricity and gas services also continued to record substantial price pressures, although inflation in the sector eased from 13.3 per cent in July to 12.3 per cent in August.
Construction inflation, meanwhile, moderated to 4.5 per cent from 4.8 per cent, while services recorded the lowest annual producer inflation at 1.8 per cent, down from 2.5 per cent in July.
Within manufacturing, producer inflation averaged 3.6 per cent in August, although several subsectors recorded considerably higher increases.
Leather product manufacturing recorded the highest inflation at 17.4 per cent, followed by fabricated metal products at 16.4 per cent and furniture manufacturing at 8.5 per cent.
Food products manufacturing recorded inflation of 8.4 per cent, while beverage manufacturing rose by 7.1 per cent.
In contrast, motor vehicle manufacturing recorded negative inflation of 2.4 per cent, while non-metallic mineral products recorded negative inflation of 0.3 per cent.
The services sector, despite recording the lowest overall producer inflation, also experienced wide differences among its subsectors.
Motion picture, video, television production and music publishing recorded an exceptionally high inflation rate of 87.9 per cent.
Land transportation recorded inflation of 9.3 per cent, followed by air transport at 7.8 per cent and accommodation at 7.5 per cent.
However, information and communication activities recorded inflation of just 0.6 per cent, while telecommunications recorded zero per cent inflation. Water transportation also remained relatively stable, recording 0.2 per cent inflation.
Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, Government Statistician, said the PPI served as an early-warning indicator of cost pressures in the economy because changes in producer prices could precede movements in retail prices.
He advised households to prioritise essential expenditure, reduce avoidable costs through efficient use of energy and water, and adopt prudent shopping practices in response to changing prices.
For businesses and investors, Dr Iddrisu recommended improved operational efficiency, careful cost management and regular reviews of pricing strategies to protect profitability while maintaining customer relationships.
He also urged businesses to diversify their suppliers and maintain appropriate inventory levels to minimise exposure to future price increases and supply disruptions.
Investment in productivity-enhancing technologies, he added, could also help businesses manage rising production costs.
Dr Iddrisu further called on policymakers to use the PPI data as an evidence base for targeted interventions in sectors experiencing significant cost pressures, while supporting overall economic growth.
He said monitoring differences in sectoral inflation would enable policymakers to direct support to highly affected industries and identify opportunities in sectors experiencing relatively lower price pressures.
