From Plantain to Tomatoes: How Food Prices Powered Ghana’s 12-Month Inflation Decline
Food prices took centre stage in Ghana’s inflation story in December 2025, as the country recorded its 12th consecutive decline in headline inflation, driven largely by easing pressures across key food items.
Data released by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) show that food inflation fell sharply to 4.9 per cent in December, down from 6.6 per cent in November, making it the single largest contributor to the continued slowdown in overall inflation. With food and non-alcoholic beverages accounting for 42.7 per cent of the Consumer Price Index (CPI), even modest changes in food prices have an outsized influence on the national inflation trend.
The December figures confirm that Ghana’s improving inflation outlook is being shaped primarily in the markets, by what households buy, cook, and consume daily.
High Prices Persist for Key Food Items
Despite the overall moderation, several widely consumed food items recorded exceptionally high year-on-year price increases, continuing to strain household budgets.
Ginger topped the inflation chart, recording a staggering 76.7 per cent annual increase, making it the fastest-rising food item in the CPI basket. Green plantain, a core staple in many Ghanaian homes, followed closely with a 69.4 per cent increase, while charcoal, an essential cooking fuel for millions of households, rose by 66.8 per cent.
Other notable price increases included avocado (42.8 per cent), palm fruits (35.2 per cent), and fresh coconut (34 per cent). Protein sources such as crab and snail also saw inflation rates exceeding 30 per cent.
These items ranked among the strongest contributors to overall inflation not only because of their steep price rises, but also due to their frequent use. In particular, plantain and charcoal remain indispensable for many households, amplifying their impact on the cost of living even as headline inflation declines.
Vegetables and Staples Pull Inflation Down
Balancing these increases, a broad range of staple food items recorded sharp price declines, helping to significantly cool food inflation in December.
At the forefront of the decline were garden eggs, which fell by 56.7 per cent, and kontomire (cocoyam leaves), down 51.9 per cent. Fresh tomatoes dropped by 39.8 per cent, while cabbage and pawpaw both recorded price reductions of more than 40 per cent.
Because these items form the base of everyday meals across the country, their falling prices had a powerful dampening effect on overall food inflation. Improved supply conditions, favourable harvest outcomes, and seasonal price corrections are widely seen as key drivers behind these steep declines.
Short-Term Pressures Still Present
While annual food inflation slowed significantly, prices still rose by 1.1 per cent month-on-month between November and December, signalling that short-term pressures have not fully eased.
Items such as onions, yam, and fish recorded monthly increases, reflecting seasonal demand shifts, transportation costs, and distribution bottlenecks that continue to affect food supply chains.
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What the Price Mix Reveals
December’s inflation data reveal that Ghana’s disinflation is not uniform across the food basket. Instead, inflation is being shaped by a push-and-pull dynamic, where steep declines in vegetables and selected staples are offsetting sharp increases in items such as plantain, charcoal, and spices.
This shift suggests that inflation pressures are becoming more item-specific rather than broad-based, opening the door for targeted interventions instead of blanket price controls.
Why It Matters
For households, the easing of food inflation offers some relief, but persistently high prices for key staples mean the cost-of-living challenge remains. For policymakers, the data underline the importance of strengthening food storage, transportation networks, irrigation systems, and market access, particularly for items that continue to drive inflation despite the broader decline.
As Ghana completes a full year of falling inflation, the December CPI release delivers a clear message: the path of inflation will continue to be decided in the food market, item by item, crop by crop, and household by household.
