Export trade in Ghana - Statistics & Facts

Exports in Ghana are a central part of the Ghanaian economy, whether in goods or services. Exported goods exceeded 17.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. Precious stones, agricultural products, minerals, and mineral fuels often form the core of the export categories. Nevertheless, the country has a lot to explore in its merchandise exports. In 2021, goods exports registered a real growth of around 1.9 percent, one of the lowest rates since 2010.
Exporting services from Ghana also yields the country considerable benefits. In 2021, exported services reached slightly over nine billion U.S. dollars dominated mainly by business and personal travel, transportation, and construction services. Overall, goods and services accounted for close to 35 percent of the nation’s GDP in 2021.

Ghana’s exports are aimed at international partners outside Africa

Switzerland and Liechtenstein, China, and the U.S. are some of Ghana’s main export trade partners. On the contrary, in recent years, exporting goods and services to other African countries has not occupied the frontline of the country’s international trade. In fact, the EU and India are the major export destinations for nations in Africa. However, intra-African trade has been at the center of discussions among African countries, with considerable efforts to enhance trade across countries on the continent. An example is the intra-African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement of May 2019, which officially entered into force after 22 African countries ratified it. By this agreement, the World Bank projects that export trade within Africa will experience growth in the manufacturing, agriculture, services, and natural resources sectors by 2035. For Ghana, the AfCFTA initiative is expected to increase exports to other parts of Africa by 16 percent in 2035.

Principal merchandise exports contributing to GDP

Gold, crude petroleum oils, and cocoa beans are the key products exported from Ghana. The nation continues to expand its capacity in gold, oil, and cocoa bean production, partly given its export trade. As of 2021, gold exports fetched the country nearly 5.3 billion U.S. dollars, while the value for crude petroleum oils and cocoa reached around 3.6 billion U.S. dollars and 1.5 billion U.S. dollars, respectively. Although the emerging values are not comparable to those exported by other nations globally, these primary goods have long contributed to Ghana’s economic growth. In 2021, cocoa exports contributed around 3.1 billion Ghanaian cedis (GHS), roughly 258.6 million U.S. dollars, to the country’s GDP. Moreover, exported gold was responsible for over 7.8 billion GHS (649 million U.S. dollars) of Ghana’s GDP in 2020, while exports from the oil and gas sector accounted for roughly 11.6 billion GHS (965 million U.S. dollars) of the GDP as of 2021.
This text provides general information. Statista assumes no liability for the information given being complete or correct. Due to varying update cycles, statistics can display more up-to-date data than referenced in the text.
Published by Doris Dokua Sasu, Dec 12, 2023

Key insights

Value of exported goods
17.3bn USD
Value of exported services
9.2bn USD
GDP share of exported good and services
34.8%
Get more insights

Editor’s Picks Current statistics on this topic

Ghana: Trade balance of goods from 2012 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Ghana

Trade balance of goods of Ghana 2022

Trade balance of services in Ghana from 2012 to 2022 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Ghana

Trade balance of services in Ghana 2012-2022

Import value of total merchandise in Ghana from 2008 to 2021 (in billion U.S. dollars)

Economy

Import of merchandise in Ghana 2008-2021

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