Diesel, petrol dominate Ghana's 2025 import bill at over GH¢51bn

Diesel and petrol dominated Ghana's 2025 import bill at over GH¢51bn, emerging as the country's largest imported commodities and accounting for more than 20 percent of the total import bill, according to new data from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). The 2025 Annual International Merchandise Trade Statistics Report shows that diesel imported for the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) was the single largest import, valued at GH¢28.46 billion and representing 11.2 percent of total imports. Light oils, including motor spirit (super), ranked second with imports worth GH¢23.24 billion, accounting for 9.2 percent of the country's import expenditure.

Combined, diesel and petrol imports amounted to GH¢51.7 billion. Beyond petroleum products, used vehicles with engine capacities between 1,500cc and 3,000cc ranked as the third-largest import category, with a value of GH¢9.33 billion. Crude petroleum followed in fourth place with imports valued at GH¢5.78 billion, while cement clinkers completed the top five with imports worth GH¢4.76 billion. The top ten imported commodities accounted for 34.3 percent of Ghana's total imports, while all other imported goods made up the remaining 65.7 percent.