Non-food items recorded higher inflation than food products in May 2026, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), indicating that price pressures are becoming more pronounced outside the food sector.
The report showed that while Ghana’s overall inflation rate increased to 3.7% in May 2026, non-food inflation stood at 4.1%, exceeding the food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation rate of 3.3%.
According to the GSS, “the Food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation rate recorded a year-on-year inflation rate of 3.3 percent in May 2026.”
The report added that “the Non-food group recorded a year-on-year inflation rate of 4.1 percent in May 2026.”
The figures suggest that although food prices remain relatively stable, consumers are facing stronger price increases in other categories of spending, including transportation, housing, utilities, healthcare and other non-food goods and services.
The higher non-food inflation rate comes at a time when Ghana’s overall inflation has begun to edge upwards after months of decline.
The country’s headline inflation rose to 3.7% in May from 3.4% in April, marking the second consecutive monthly increase.
The GSS noted that “the year-on-year inflation rate as measured by the CPI was 3.7 percent in May 2026,” while the monthly inflation rate for May stood at 1.1%.
The gap between food and non-food inflation may provide important signals for policymakers assessing the sources of emerging price pressures in the economy. While food inflation has historically been a major driver of overall inflation in Ghana, the latest figures suggest that non-food components are now contributing more significantly to inflationary trends.
Despite the recent increase, inflation remains substantially lower than the 18.4% recorded in May 2025, reflecting the considerable progress made in stabilising prices over the past year.
