The Bank of Ghana (BoG) is pushing for wider access to Ghana’s socio-economic data to enable businesses, researchers and policymakers to use artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced analytics to identify investment opportunities, improve economic forecasting and strengthen decision-making.
Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, has urged the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) to establish a dedicated electronic portal where the underlying data used in its national statistical publications can be accessed in machine-readable formats.
The proposal is expected to expand the commercial and policy value of official statistics by allowing users to analyse economic trends, identify market patterns and develop insights beyond the published tables and charts.
Dr Asiama made the call at the launch of the maiden edition of the Ghana in Numbers 2025 report in Accra last Thursday.
The report provides an overview of the country’s socio-economic conditions, demographic developments and key economic indicators.
He said advances in data science, AI and machine learning were creating new opportunities to improve economic analysis, strengthen forecasting and assess emerging risks.
“Ghana in Numbers can go a step further to enhance its value and impact by making the underlying data series available through a dedicated electronic portal in accessible, machine-readable and readily usable formats,” he said.
He explained that such a platform would enable researchers, policymakers, businesses and other stakeholders to interrogate economic data more extensively, uncover relationships between indicators and make evidence-based decisions.
For the private sector, wider access to reliable data could improve market research, investment planning and business forecasting, while helping companies better understand demographic changes, consumer trends and economic conditions.
Dr Asiama commended the GSS for making official statistics more accessible, describing the publication as a national resource for assessing Ghana’s development progress, identifying emerging challenges and setting national priorities.
He said the Central Bank was also strengthening its analytical capabilities through the establishment of a Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Department to improve data governance, expand analytical capacity and promote responsible technology use in policymaking.
He further disclosed that the Bank was developing a directive to regulate the use of AI in the financial sector, as part of efforts to encourage innovation while managing emerging risks.
Dr Asiama said effective monetary policy and financial-sector regulation depended on reliable and timely data, noting that the Bank’s inflation-targeting framework required forward-looking decisions informed by economic evidence.
“Let us see Ghana in Numbers not merely as a statistical publication, but as a national resource for understanding our circumstances, evaluating our progress and making better decisions about our collective future,” he said.
Meanwhile, the maiden Ghana in Numbers report presents a mixed picture of economic expansion and employment challenges, highlighting the need to translate business growth into better-quality jobs.
According to the report, Ghana’s population reached 33.7 million in 2025, while the economy expanded to approximately GH¢1.4 trillion in nominal terms, recording GDP growth of 6% and end-year inflation of 5.4%.
The country’s business population also nearly tripled to 2,644,363 establishments in 2024, while the number of people working in them doubled to 6.90 million.
However, the report’s findings suggest that business creation has not translated into employment growth at the same pace, raising questions about the capacity of enterprises to expand their workforce and generate sustainable jobs.
It noted that the share of adults working or seeking employment increased from 67.1% in 2022 to an average of 74.5% during the first three quarters of 2025, indicating growing pressure on the labour market.
The report also highlighted the dominance of informal businesses, with only 7.7% of establishments classified as formal, underscoring the challenges associated with business formalisation, productivity and job security.
Based on the findings, Dr Iddrisu urged the government to anchor budgetary decisions in reliable statistics, while encouraging district assemblies to use local data to guide spending priorities.
He also called on Parliament to demand measurable baselines for new government programmes to strengthen accountability and improve the assessment of public expenditure.
Employers and investors were encouraged to support the transition of informal businesses and jobs into the formal economy to improve employment conditions and strengthen the country’s productive base.
He further urged development partners, researchers, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to use official statistics to hold public institutions accountable.
“These figures are not just a record of the past. They are a tool for deciding what happens next,” he said.
