Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Ghana
Ghana: Food exports (% of merchandise exports) was 19.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Food exports in Ghana, 1962–2025
Source: Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division. Measured in % of merchandise exports.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 19.7% for food exports in 2025.
That represents a change of up 25.2% on the previous year and down 43.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, food exports in Ghana peaked at 89.6% in 1984 and was at its lowest, 15.7%, in 2024.
Ghana ranks 89th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Food exports (% of merchandise exports) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of merchandise exports | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 72.9% | — |
| 1963 | 76.7% | +5.2% |
| 1964 | 72.5% | -5.5% |
| 1965 | 73.8% | +1.9% |
| 1966 | 70.5% | -4.5% |
| 1967 | 75.1% | +6.5% |
| 1968 | 71.3% | -5.1% |
| 1969 | 63.1% | -11.4% |
| 1970 | 77.7% | +23.2% |
| 1971 | 73.1% | -5.9% |
| 1972 | 67.2% | -8.1% |
| 1973 | 64.6% | -3.8% |
| 1974 | 74.2% | +14.9% |
| 1975 | 77.8% | +4.8% |
| 1976 | 70.3% | -9.7% |
| 1977 | 75.5% | +7.5% |
| 1978 | 76.7% | +1.5% |
| 1979 | 81.9% | +6.9% |
| 1980 | 78.4% | -4.3% |
| 1981 | 51.3% | -34.5% |
| 1982 | 61.6% | +20.0% |
| 1983 | 63.2% | +2.6% |
| 1984 | 89.6% | +41.7% |
| 1992 | 29.3% | -67.3% |
| 1996 | 40.9% | +39.7% |
| 1997 | 37.4% | -8.5% |
| 1998 | 56.6% | +51.3% |
| 1999 | 51.0% | -9.8% |
| 2000 | 30.1% | -40.9% |
| 2001 | 33.3% | +10.4% |
| 2003 | 40.2% | +20.8% |
| 2004 | 52.0% | +29.5% |
| 2005 | 37.1% | -28.6% |
| 2006 | 41.9% | +13.0% |
| 2007 | 36.7% | -12.4% |
| 2008 | 34.9% | -4.9% |
| 2009 | 25.6% | -26.7% |
| 2010 | 21.6% | -15.5% |
| 2011 | 20.2% | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 16.7% | -17.5% |
| 2013 | 18.4% | +10.3% |
| 2014 | 27.0% | +46.5% |
| 2015 | 34.8% | +29.0% |
| 2016 | 35.7% | +2.7% |
| 2017 | 23.7% | -33.6% |
| 2018 | 26.1% | +9.8% |
| 2019 | 22.0% | -15.6% |
| 2021 | 25.2% | +14.9% |
| 2022 | 21.0% | -16.9% |
| 2023 | 18.1% | -13.7% |
| 2024 | 15.7% | -13.1% |
| 2025 | 19.7% | +25.2% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 19.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 21.6%, 91% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 19.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 27.6%, 71% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 72.0% | 63.1% | 76.7% | 8 |
| 1970s | 73.9% | 64.6% | 81.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 68.8% | 51.3% | 89.6% | 5 |
| 1990s | 43.0% | 29.3% | 56.6% | 5 |
| 2000s | 36.9% | 25.6% | 52.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 24.6% | 16.7% | 35.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.0% | 15.7% | 25.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More private sector data for Ghana
- Merchandise trade 42.5% (2025)
- Food imports 13.0% (2025)
- Manufactures imports 58.0% (2025)
- Merchandise imports 17.45 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service imports 14.40 billion current US$ (2025)
- Manufactures exports 5.8% (2025)
- Merchandise exports 31.11 billion current US$ (2025)
- Commercial service exports 10.06 billion current US$ (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per capita 887.14 current US$ per person (2025)
- Merchandise exports (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2724 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is food exports in Ghana?
- Food exports in Ghana was 19.7% in 2025, according to Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division.
- What is the highest food exports recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 89.6% in 1984.
- What is the lowest food exports recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.7% in 2024.
- How does Ghana rank for food exports?
- Ghana ranks 89th out of 196 countries with data for 2025.
- Is food exports rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Comtrade database, United Nations (UN), publisher: UN Statistics Division, published as part of Food exports (% of merchandise exports). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Food comprises the commodities in SITC (Rev. 3) sections 0 (food and live animals), 1 (beverages and tobacco), and 4 (animal and vegetable oils and fats) and division 22 (oil seeds, oil nuts, and oil kernels). This indicator is expressed as a percentage of merchandise exports which is comprised of goods whose economic ownership is changed between a resident and a non-resident and that are not included in the following specific categories: goods under merchanting, non-monetary gold, and parts of travel, construction, and government goods and services n.i.e.