The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) latest data detailed that fresh tomatoes, rent payments and ginger were the biggest contributors to Ghana’s 5.2% inflation rate in September 2026.
According to GSS, the sharp increase in tomato prices was among the key factors driving inflation, with fresh tomatoes alone accounting for 20.3% of the overall inflation rate.
The GSS’s September data disclosed that fresh tomatoes, rent payments and ginger were the biggest contributors to Ghana’s 5.2% inflation rate in September 2026, highlighting the uneven price pressures facing households despite the sharp decline in overall inflation over the past year.
The data shows tomatoes alone accounted for 20.3% of the September inflation rate, followed by rent payments at 13.9% and ginger at 9.9%.
Cooked rice contributed 7%, while bus and trotro fares and yam each accounted for 5.4%.
Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, presenting the detailed inflation figures, said the headline inflation rate masks significant differences in price movements across individual items.
He stated, “We are talking about one national rate of 5.2% at the end of September 2026, which contains very different experiences in the market”.
Fresh tomatoes recorded the highest inflation rate among the items tracked in September, with prices rising by 153.4% compared with September 2025.
Dr Alhassan Iddrisu explained that the increase means tomatoes cost roughly two and a half times more than they did a year earlier.
He further disclosed that Ginger followed with an inflation rate of 100.4%, meaning its price approximately doubled over the same period.
Other items that recorded significant price increases included shrimps at 62.8%, mangoes at 46.6%, and packing space and related services at 40%.
The figures have raised concerns about the impact of fresh food supply on overall inflation, with tomatoes and ginger alone accounting for about 30% of the national inflation rate.
“Also, pay attention to fresh food supply, since tomatoes and ginger alone contribute about 30% of inflation,” Dr Iddrisu said.
While several food items recorded sharp increases, others became significantly cheaper compared with the same period last year.
According to him, lime recorded the largest price decline, falling by 29.9%. It was followed by maize at 26.4%, foreign apples at 24.1%, bambaran beans at 21.7% and carrots at 21.5%.
The contrasting movements highlight the wide differences in price experiences across Ghanaian markets, even as the overall inflation rate continues to moderate.
Dr Alhassan Iddrisu also identified services as a key area of concern. Services inflation stood at 8.3% in September, compared with goods inflation of 4.2%, meaning prices for services were rising at nearly twice the pace of goods.
“Services inflation is at 8.3 per cent at the end of September 2026, and they are the last hurdle for us to deal with, rising twice as fast as goods, which recorded inflation of 4.2 per cent,” he said.
Dr Alhassan Iddrisu highlighted that housing and rent, restaurants and transport were among the services contributing to the pressure.
The presentation further showed that Ghana’s inflation is largely being driven by domestically produced items. Local items accounted for about 86% of inflation in September, while imported items contributed the remaining share.
“Inflation is homegrown, with local items driving about 86% of inflation in September 2026,” Dr Iddrisu said.
He said the trend should guide policy responses, particularly in addressing food supply challenges and domestic costs.
The national inflation rate also masks significant differences across the regions. Dr Iddrisu noted that regional inflation ranged from 9.8% in the Ashanti Region to negative 0.5% in the Western Region.
“But not least, where you live matters, from 9.8% in the Ashanti Region to negative 0.5% inflation in the Western Region,” he said.
According to the Ghana Statistical Service said the figures should be used by policymakers, businesses and households to better understand where cost-of-living pressures are strongest.
Dr Iddrisu also pointed out that for households, the moderation in food inflation, which fell to 4% in September from 11% a year earlier which provides some room for better financial planning and saving.
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