ACCRA, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) -- Over the past two decades, the value of Ghana's merchandise trade has increased nearly ninefold, according to a report released Tuesday by the Ghana Statistical Service.
The Ghana's Merchandise Trade 2004-2025 report said the country's trade value grew from 6 billion U.S. dollars in 2004 to 52.5 billion dollars in 2025.
Government Statistician Alhassan Iddrisu, who launched the report, said exports grew from 1.93 billion dollars in 2004 to 32 billion dollars in 2025, while imports, which stood at 4.1 billion dollars in 2004, increased to 20.5 billion dollars in 2025.
"For most of two decades, Ghana bought more than it sold. That situation, however, turned the corner in 2023, when Ghana swung from years of trade deficit to a record surplus -- and stayed positive through 2025, when the country posted its largest-ever surplus," Iddrisu said.
Of the 2025 trade surplus of 11.5 billion dollars, the official said exports accounted for 61 percent, with gold accounting for 63 percent of all exports in 2025, up from 39 percent in 2004.
According to Iddrisu, the cocoa, gold, and crude oil exporter earned 20.2 billion dollars from gold exports in 2025, as the country now earns more from gold than from cocoa and crude oil combined.
On imports, he said fuel purchases account for 26 percent of Ghana's total imports, urging the country to reverse the trend of shipping out crude oil and buying back refined fuel, and take steps to retain more of the value locally. ■