Ghana’s economic expansion in the second quarter of 2026 was driven largely by technology, transport and other service-related activities, highlighting a growing shift in the structure of the economy even as several traditional sectors recorded significant contractions.
The economy grew by 6.0 per cent year-on-year during the quarter, with the Information and Communication sector emerging as the strongest performer after recording a remarkable 30.9 per cent growth.
Latest data from the Ghana Statistical Service show that Transport and Storage also expanded strongly by 14.9 per cent, while Forestry and Logging grew by 10.7 per cent.
Manufacturing recorded 6.6 per cent growth, with Livestock completing the five fastest-growing sectors at 5.9 per cent.
The strong performance of Information and Communication was particularly significant, as the sector alone accounted for 41.5 per cent of Ghana’s overall GDP growth during the quarter.
Crops contributed 13.8 per cent to total growth, followed by Transport and Storage with 13.5 per cent. Manufacturing contributed 11.4 per cent, while Trade and Repair of Vehicles accounted for 6.2 per cent.
The figures underscore the increasing importance of the services economy to Ghana’s growth. The services sector accounted for 57.6 per cent of total GDP growth in the second quarter, supported by activities including information and communication, transport and trade.
However, the overall growth performance masks significant weaknesses in some parts of the economy.
Fishing recorded the sharpest contraction, declining by 24.7 per cent during the quarter. Accommodation and Food Services also fell by 7.8 per cent, while Public Administration and Defence and Education each contracted by 4.7 per cent.
Real Estate recorded a smaller decline of 2.6 per cent.
The contrasting sector performances point to an increasingly uneven economic recovery, with technology-driven and service-based activities providing much of the momentum while fishing, hospitality and some public-sector-related activities remain under pressure.
Despite the 6.0 per cent expansion, the pace of growth was slower than the 6.6 per cent recorded in the corresponding quarter of 2025.
The latest figures therefore present a mixed picture of Ghana’s economy: growth remains relatively strong, but its sources are becoming increasingly concentrated in services and technology, while several traditional sectors continue to face challenges.
