Ghana's informal food import gap widens in 2025 - GSS

Ghana's dependence on informal food imports deepened during the first nine months of 2025, with the country's food trade deficit doubling as traders increasingly relied on neighbouring countries to meet local demand for essential food commodities.

The latest Informal Cross Border Trade Report, released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) on Thursday, July 16, 2026, shows that the informal food trade deficit increased from about GH¢400 million in the first quarter to GH¢800 million by the third quarter, reflecting a sharp rise in food imports compared with exports through informal trade channels.

The report indicates that the widening deficit was driven largely by continued imports of staple food products, with cooking oil maintaining its position as the country's most imported food commodity throughout the period.

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According to the GSS, cooking oil accounted for 16.3 percent of informal food imports in the first quarter before easing slightly to 14.4 percent in the third quarter. Despite the decline, it remained the largest food product imported through informal cross-border trade.

Rice emerged as the second most imported commodity, accounting for 8.4 percent of informal food imports in the third quarter, followed by shea nuts at 7.0 percent.

The report also showed that imports of livestock, particularly cattle, declined steadily over the period, with their share falling from 6.9 percent in the first quarter to 5.5 percent by the third quarter.

Sugar accounted for 5.7 percent of informal food imports, while maize imports remained relatively stable, rising from 4.7 percent in the first quarter to 5.1 percent in the second quarter before returning to 4.7 percent in the third quarter.

While food imports continued to rise, Ghana's informal non-food trade recorded weaker performance during the same period.

According to the report, the country's informal non-food trade surplus narrowed from approximately GH¢1 billion in the first quarter to GH¢800 million by the third quarter, highlighting a shift in the composition of informal cross-border trade.

The findings underscore the growing role informal trade plays in supplying food to Ghanaian markets, particularly as households continue to depend on neighbouring countries for products such as cooking oil and rice.

The report also raises concerns about domestic food production and underscores the need to strengthen agricultural value chains to reduce the country's reliance on imported food commodities, improve food security, and support import substitution efforts.

ANAS/MA

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