Ghana recorded a national inflation rate of 5.0% in August 2026, up from 4.6% in July, but the national figure did not reflect the same price experience across the country.
Inflation varied considerably from one region to another, showing that the increase in the general price level was not evenly distributed. While some regions experienced stronger price pressures, others recorded much lower inflation, with prices in a few regions declining compared with the same period last year.
The Central Region recorded the highest inflation rate at 11.1%, more than twice the national average, while Bono East recorded the lowest rate at negative 3.3%. The wide gap illustrates how households in different parts of the country faced significantly different movements in the prices of goods and services.
Ashanti and Greater Accra, despite not recording the highest regional inflation rates, remained the most important contributors to the national figure because of their larger weight in Ghana’s consumer basket. Together, the two regions accounted for nearly two-thirds of overall inflation, underlining the influence of price movements in the country’s two largest consumption centres.
The regional differences come as inflationary pressures in August were highly driven by non-food items and services. While food inflation eased slightly to 3.0%, non-food inflation accelerated to 6.8%, with services recording an even higher rate of 8.6%.
This suggests that the pressure on household budgets was coming from areas such as housing, transport, education and other services rather than from the broader food basket.
The data also show that the national inflation figure masks substantial differences in the movement of individual prices. Some commodities recorded sharp increases over the year, while others became considerably cheaper.
Fresh tomatoes and ginger were among the most significant examples of rising prices, recording some of the largest increases among individual items. Fresh tomatoes were also the single biggest contributor to overall inflation, alongside rent payments and ginger.
At the same time, the decline in the prices of items such as lime and maize helped to moderate food inflation, which remained relatively subdued compared with non-food inflation.
The August inflation data therefore present a mixed picture. Although the national rate increased to 5.0%, the pressure was neither uniform across the country nor spread evenly across household spending.
Instead, inflation in August was shaped by sharp regional differences and rising costs in selected goods and services. The figures also point to a growing role for domestic costs, particularly services, housing and other locally produced items, while lower inflation for some food products and imported goods provided some relief.
For households, the implication is that the 5.0% national rate tells only part of the story. The actual cost-of-living experience continues to depend heavily on where people live and the particular goods and services that make up their daily spending.
