Ghana’s inflation eased to 18.4% in May 2025, but essential food items such as yam, smoked herring, and vegetable oil remain key contributors to rising household costs, according to data from the Ghana Statistical Service.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) bulletin shows that despite the overall disinflation trend, food inflation still stood at 22.8%, with a handful of staple items driving a significant share of the headline inflation figure. Food items contributed nearly two-thirds of the total inflation rate, underlining their central role in household expenditure and economic stability.
Among the top drivers of inflation in May were; Yam, Smoked herring, Fresh fish, Vegetable oil and Ginger
These products, widely consumed across the country, reflect both seasonal supply fluctuations and structural inefficiencies in food logistics, storage, and distribution. The Ghana Statistical Service identified non-durable goods, including many food items, as contributing 10.1 percentage points to the 18.4% headline inflation.
With Food inflation being the dominant force in Ghana’s price pressures. Items like yam and smoked fish are both culturally significant and dietary staples, so their price volatility hits consumers hard.
The report calls for improved logistics infrastructure and expanded irrigation schemes to stabilise food prices, especially in high-inflation regions such as the Upper West, which recorded a 38.1% inflation rate.
While overall inflation is trending downward, the price of staple foods continues to stretch household budgets and shape public perception of economic recovery. Until structural reforms address food production and market dynamics, inflation relief may be uneven across regions and income levels.
