Ghana’s banking sector profitability has improved sharply, with return on equity climbing to 32.21% in August 2025, up from 31.36% a year earlier, the Bank of Ghana said on Thursday.
Governor Dr. Johnson Asiama, speaking at the 42nd Annual General Meeting of the Ghana Association of Banks, said the increase reflected renewed confidence, stronger balance sheets, and the system’s growing resilience following years of economic pressure.
The central bank reported that the sector’s capital adequacy ratio, a key measure of a bank’s financial strength and ability to absorb losses, stood at 18.28%, well above the regulatory minimum.
Non-performing loans, which refer to loans that borrowers struggle to repay, eased to 20.77%, showing gradual recovery in loan performance. Deposits also rose by more than 17% year-on-year, supported by improved liquidity and a rebound in business activity.
Inflation fell to 9.4% in September, its lowest level in four years, compared with 23.8% in December 2024, aided by tighter monetary control. The cedi, Ghana’s local currency, has appreciated by about 37% year-to-date, while gross reserves reached $10.7 billion, enough to cover over 4.5 months of imports as of August.
“The banking sector’s stability has been restored through discipline, sacrifice, and partnership,” Asiama said, adding that the next phase of the central bank’s agenda would focus on driving innovation and digital transformation within the industry to enhance service delivery and inclusion.
Real GDP growth rose to 6.3% in the second quarter, driven mainly by the services and agriculture sectors, as well as renewed activity in non-oil industries. Asiama said stability was not the destination but “the launchpad” for a more inclusive and technology-driven financial ecosystem that supports long-term growth and opportunity for all.
