When Ghanaians talk about inflation, the usual suspects that come to mind are food staples like rice, yams, or fuel prices; however, the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) data released by the Ghana Statistical Service for September 2025 has unusual stories to tell.
Unexpected items, though they impact our daily lives in different ways, made it to the list of top 20 items that contributed to the 9.4% September 2025 inflation.
Among the top 20 contributors to headline inflation, not only did household essentials like smoked herrings, charcoal, and cooked rice make the list, but also items you wouldn’t immediately link to the cost-of-living conversation. English Textbook, Fees of both public & private Senior High Schools contributed significantly, making the list of top 20 contributors.
Take English textbooks, for instance. With a year-on-year price rise of 15.4%, they are now part of the inflation basket, showing how education costs are weighing more heavily on households.
Similarly, Senior High School (SHS) fees, both private and public, surged by 6.3%, joining the league table of the largest contributors to inflation this month. For many parents, this is more than a statistic; it’s a direct hit to the pocket every term.
The equation will never be complete without some food items making the list. The well-known staple, kenkey, popularly known as “kormi” with fish, had a spot on the list. Kenkey with fried fish, saw prices rise by 18.2% over the past year. Even ginger, beef, onions, cooked rice, fufu, and soup all featured prominently with a significant increase.
Then there’s charcoal, a non-food essential, which recorded a staggering 43.8% year-on-year increase. For households that rely on it for cooking, this spike underscores how inflation isn’t just about what’s on the dinner table, but also how it’s prepared.
One of the most eye-catching entries on the list is ginger, which posted an extraordinary 113.8% jump compared to last year, reflecting the volatile prices of some local farm produce.
Services like cinema and cultural outings made the list, showing that inflation has crept into leisure and lifestyle too. This is a significant reminder that the rising cost of living affects more than just food and fuel.
What ties all these together is their impact on daily living. Whether it’s feeding the family, paying school fees, buying textbooks, or simply cooking with charcoal, inflation is hitting Ghanaians in very practical ways.
The data may be numbers on a chart, but the reality is felt in classrooms, kitchens, and chop bars across the country.
