A handful of food, education and household items accounted for most of Ghana’s 3.3% year on year inflation in February, even as fuel and several fresh food items exerted strong downward pressure, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).The top 10 items contributing to inflation made up 87.4% of the overall rate, underscoring how concentrated price pressures have become .
Top Contributors to Inflation
Charcoal remained the single largest contributor to headline inflation, accounting for 15.5% of the overall rate, with year on year inflation of 53.1% . Its outsized influence reflects both sharp price increases and its role as a widely used household fuel.
Plantain followed closely, contributing 14.8% to inflation after posting a 67.9% annual price increase . The surge highlights persistent pressures in selected staple foods despite broader easing in food inflation. Cinema and cultural services contributed 8.9%, with inflation of 38.2%, while public and private secondary school fees accounted for 8.5% of the overall rate after rising 10.0% year on year .
Other significant contributors included river fish (7.8%), smoked herrings (7.7%), ginger (6.4%), large onions (6.3%), rent payments (5.8%) and vegetable oil (5.6%) . The pattern shows inflation being driven less by broad-based price acceleration and more by specific food items, energy substitutes and education-related costs.
High Inflation Items
In terms of pure price increases, plantain and ginger were among the fastest rising items, alongside shrimps, charcoal and crab, all posting annual inflation above 45% . However, not all high inflation items carried significant weight in the basket. For instance, shrimps and crab recorded sharp increases but contributed marginally to the overall rate due to their small expenditure weights .
This distinction between price growth and contribution is critical. Some items rise sharply but have limited impact on the national rate because households spend relatively little on them.
Items Pulling Inflation Down
On the downside, several food and fuel items exerted strong negative contributions.Fresh tomatoes reduced overall inflation by 13.7%, while garden eggs subtracted 7.0% and maize 5.8% . Pawpaw, fresh okro and cocoyam leaves also recorded steep annual price declines.
Fuel prices provided further relief. Petrol recorded negative 28.0% year on year inflation, while diesel fell 23.4% and gas 20.2%, contributing negatively to the overall rate .The combined effect of falling fuel and selected fresh produce prices significantly offset pressures from charcoal, plantain, rents and education fees.
Concentrated Price Pressures
The February data point to a narrow set of goods and services sustaining inflation, even as broader disinflation continues. Food items with seasonal supply constraints and household energy substitutes remain key drivers, while transport fuels and selected staples are helping anchor the headline rate.
The composition suggests that while macro-level inflation has eased, household cost pressures remain uneven across consumption categories, particularly in basic food items and utilities.
