Fresh tomatoes recorded the biggest annual price increase among selected items in Ghana’s August 2026 Consumer Price Index, with prices surging by 158.3% over the year, according to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The sharp rise in tomato prices came despite Ghana’s overall year-on-year inflation rate declining to 5.0% in August 2026, down from 11.5% recorded a year earlier.
The latest GSS data highlight significant variations in the prices of individual goods and services, showing that the headline inflation figure does not reflect the experience of every consumer.
Ginger, Shrimps and Mangoes Also Record Sharp Increases
Following fresh tomatoes, ginger recorded the second-highest annual price increase, rising by 128.3%.
Other products that recorded significant increases included:
- Shrimps – 67.1%
- Mangoes – 57.7%
- Parking space and other services – 40.0%
- Fresh coconut – 38.0%
- Charcoal – 35.6%
- Green pepper – 30.5%
- Cabbage – 29.8%
- Bananas – 29.5%
Lime and Maize Prices Decline
While several food items recorded steep price increases, others became significantly cheaper over the same period.
Lime recorded the biggest annual decline, falling by 33.7%, followed by maize, which dropped by 31.3%.
Other notable declines included:
- Cocoyam leaves (kontomire/ale fu) – 24.8%
- Sweet apples – 23.5%
- Fried fish – 23.2%
- Pawpaw – 22.5%
Food Inflation Eases Slightly
Overall, food inflation stood at 3.0% in August, marginally lower than the 3.1% recorded in July.
The GSS said lime and maize were among the products helping to ease pressure on household food budgets.
However, the wide variation in price movements across individual products indicates that consumers experienced very different changes in the cost of food and other household essentials despite the decline in headline inflation.
