Ghana launches maiden ‘Ghana in Numbers’ publication

October 30, 2026

2 minutes read

Ghana has launched its maiden national statistical publication, “Ghana in Numbers 2025”, to promote evidence-based policymaking, strengthen accountability and guide the country’s development priorities.

Developed by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), the publication, themed ‘Youth and Demographic Transition,’ brings together key national statistics in a single, accessible reference document.

It covers population and society, social development, business and the economy, governance, the environment and climate change, as well as progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking at the launch in Accra, the Deputy Minister of Finance, Thomas Nyarko Ampem, said credible statistics were essential for effective economic management and the achievement of national development goals.

“Credible numbers do not tell us what we want to hear, but they tell us what we need to know,” he noted, underscoring the importance of reliable data in shaping policies and allocating public resources.

Mr Ampem stated that the publication fulfilled a commitment outlined in paragraph 1,125 of the 2026 Budget Statement to deepen transparency, strengthen accountability and promote data-driven economic governance.

Furthermore, he explained that Ghana’s growing youth population presented both an economic opportunity and a significant policy challenge, particularly as youth unemployment averaged 21.9 per cent in the first three quarters of 2025, compared with the national rate of 12.8 per cent.

He noted that young people aged between 15 and 35 constituted approximately 36.9 per cent of the population, stressing the need for quality education, relevant skills, productive investment and decent jobs to turn the country’s demographic advantage into economic gains.

“A youthful population does not automatically deliver a demographic dividend. We must earn that dividend through quality education, relevant skills, productive investment and decent jobs,” he stated.

• Mr Ampem (fifth from right), Dr Alhassan Iddrisu (fifth from left), and other invited guests launching the report. Photo: Ebo Gorman

The Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, described the publication as a significant national resource that would help policymakers, businesses, researchers and investors better understand the country’s economic and social conditions.

He said reliable statistics were indispensable to effective monetary policy, particularly in assessing inflation, exchange-rate movements, credit conditions and developments in the financial sector.

The Government Statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, underlined that the publication would be produced annually to provide Ghanaians with a common set of trusted figures for planning, policymaking and public debate.

“When we have our Cabinet, Parliament, boardrooms and newsrooms working from the same figures, the debate moves from whose figures are right to what do we do about them,” he said.

Dr Iddrisu elaborated that the publication was accompanied by a digital portal featuring district-level statistics, interactive maps and downloadable data to improve public access to official information.

He said the GSS intended to make the publication an annual exercise, adding that the ultimate goal of producing statistics was to improve development outcomes.

“Producing statistics is no longer the finish line. For us, use is the finish line or, if you want, impact is the finish line,” he added.

BY KINGSLEY ASARE

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