Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, Minister of Finance, has revealed that through increased domestic production, the economy grew by 6.3 percent in the first half of 2025.
While reading the 2026 Budget Statement and Economic Policy on the floor of Parliament, the Minister attributed the 6.3 percent economic expansion to the agriculture and services sectors. The growth of these sectors, he said, was based on the macroeconomic gains the economy experienced this year.
“Overall GDP expanded by 6.3 percent in the first half of 2025, up from 5.1 percent during the same period in 2024. This growth was broad-based and driven mainly by the services and agriculture sectors, which benefitted from lower inflation, renewed business confidence, and a stable exchange rate environment.”
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson
According to Dr. Forson, the real sector, which produces tangible goods and services, was strengthened in the first half of 2025, “marking a firm recovery built on resilience and confidence.” The real sector includes activities related to agriculture, manufacturing, construction, and mining.
The Budget reading themed “Resetting for Growth, Jobs, and Economic Transformation” showed that the growth of domestic production and growing local consumption are evident in the 7.8 percent surge in the non-oil part of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
This complements the structural shift promoted by the government since assuming office. The shift is from Ghana’s “dependence on extractive industries towards a more diversified, inclusive growth model anchored in local enterprise and productivity.”
The Agriculture Sector
The agriculture sector has always been a significant part of the Ghanaian economy, mostly characterized by subsistence and informal activities. The agriculture sector grew by more than 100 percent compared to the first half of 2024. All the sub-sectors under the agriculture sector grew by more than 5 percent in the period under review.
“Agriculture also delivered a robust performance, growing by 6.0 percent in the first half of 2025, compared to 2.9 percent a year earlier. Growth was broad-based, with crops expanding by 6.2 percent, livestock by 5.8 percent, and fishing by 7.7 percent.”
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson
The cocoa sector also recovered from a decline in 2024 to a 2.8 percent increase in 2025. This was caused by the government’s influence in the sector through fertilizer distribution and various farmer support programs.
“Most notably, cocoa production rebounded from a sharp contraction of 21.4 percent in the first half of 2024 to a positive 2.8 percent growth in 2025. This recovery was made possible by improved pest control, timely fertilizer distribution, and sustained investment in farmer support program.”
Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson
These improvements were significant contributors to the overall economic growth of the country. The government, since assuming office, has focused on the agriculture sector through the rolling out of projects like the Feed Ghana Initiative and the ‘Nkuko Nkitikiti’ program. This growth is a testament to the potential yield that can be achieved if more is done in the sector.
The government, therefore, needs more effort in the agriculture sector to substitute the importation of certain commodities. It’s a welcoming sector that comes naturally to the Ghanaian. With these increased yields, the citizenry needs to be sensitized to join the sector.
The Service Sector
The Finance Minister on the floor of Parliament again declared that the “service sector remained the primary engine of growth. The sector grew by 8.8 percent in the first half of 2025, as to 3.2 percent in the same period of 2024.” Dr. Ato Forson noted that the growth is “a remarkable rebound that demonstrates the renewed vitality of Ghana’s service economy, particularly in technology, finance, and education.”
Other sub-sectors, such as ‘information and communication,’ ‘financial and insurance,’ ‘education,’ and ‘transport and storage,’ also grew significantly by 17.2 percent, 9.5 percent, 14.9 percent, and 6.7 percent, respectively.
According to Dr. Ato Forson, the “modern economy is taking shape, one built on productivity, knowledge, and opportunity rather than short-term consumption.”
The government’s support of both sectors reveals the likely growth path for Ghana. Clearly, from the outlook of the first half of 2025 as presented in the 2026 Budget, the productive sectors, especially agriculture, will build the jobs the economy needs and expand the economy.
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