Ghana’s cost-of-living pressures in November 2025 were overwhelmingly driven by volatile prices in everyday food staples, household energy, and utility-related expenditures, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) breakdown.
The data confirmed deeply embedded inflationary pressures across essential consumption categories, led by Charcoal, which emerged as the single biggest driver of consumer price increases with a 9.2% year-on-year contribution, highlighting structural cost issues in household energy sources.
This was closely followed by Smoked Herrings at 7.6%, reflecting volatility in processed fish, and Plantain (Green) at 6.8%, which remained a key influencer of food inflation due to supply tightness. Non-food items also contributed significantly, with Cinema and Cultural Services at 5.7% and Hotel and Accommodation Services at 4.0%, pointing to rising leisure costs. Further steep increases in the food basket included Ginger (5.4%), Large Onions (4.7%), Cooked Rice (4.2%), Vegetable Oil (3.9%), and Yam (3.5%), completing the top ten drivers. Beyond the top tier, prepared foods like Kenkey with Fried Fish, River Fish, Fufu with Soup, along with Beef and Tomato Paste, contributed to the broad-based pressures.
Utility costs also re-emerged as a major concern, specifically Re-sold Tap Water, Secondary School Fees, and Refuse Disposal, although Electricity Inflation saw a sharp deceleration to 14% year-on-year. Overall, the November CPI confirms that consumer price stability is primarily threatened by persistent structural cost drivers in food supply chains and essential domestic services.
