Charcoal emerges as Ghana’s Biggest inflation driver as prices surge over 50% – Gov’t Statistician
Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu has identified charcoal as the largest contributor to inflation in Ghana, revealing that its price increased by more than 50 percent over the past year, placing significant pressure on household budgets.
Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, Dr Iddrisu said the development comes despite a substantial improvement in the country’s overall inflation outlook.
“By all standards, this is a remarkable turnaround, and every Ghanaian should know this,” he stated, referring to the recent decline in headline inflation.
However, he cautioned that underlying pressures remain, particularly within the food sector. According to him, food inflation increased to 3.3 percent in May 2026 from 2.2 percent in April 2026.
Dr Iddrisu noted that food prices recorded one of their sharpest monthly increases in recent times, rising by two percent between April and May 2026.
“In just one month, between April and May 2026, food prices jumped by 2 percent, one of the fastest increases we have observed in a single month,” he said.
He pointed to tomatoes as a major factor behind the rise in food inflation. Tomato prices increased by 35.8 percent between May 2025 and May 2026, while recording an even steeper month-on-month increase of 38.8 percent between April and May this year.
According to the Government Statistician, the spike was largely driven by supply disruptions from Burkina Faso following attacks on Ghanaian traders and subsequent export restrictions.
“Earlier this year, Ghanaian traders were attacked in Burkina Faso, and an export ban followed, disrupting tomato supplies into Ghana. Although the ban was lifted on April 2, prices had already surged significantly,” he explained.
Despite the rise in food prices, Dr Iddrisu said charcoal remains the single largest contributor to the country’s inflation rate.
He disclosed that charcoal prices rose by 50.1 percent between May 2025 and May 2026, making it the most significant item influencing inflation during the period.
“Charcoal is actually the single largest contributor to our national inflation,” he stated.
According to him, charcoal alone accounted for approximately 13.1 percent of Ghana’s total inflation figure in May 2026.
He noted that the impact is being felt widely because charcoal remains a primary cooking fuel for many households across the country.
“As we know, many Ghanaian homes still cook with charcoal, and when that cost goes up, everyone feels it,” he added.
Dr Iddrisu’s remarks underscore the contrast between improving macroeconomic indicators and the everyday challenges facing many Ghanaian households, which continue to contend with rising food and energy costs despite broader gains in inflation management.
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