Trade in services (% of GDP) in Ghana
Ghana: Trade in services (% of GDP) was 21.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Trade in services in Ghana, 1975–2025
Source: Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 21.6% for trade in services in 2025.
The figure is down 13.3% on the previous year and down 20.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, trade in services in Ghana peaked at 34.3% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 1983.
That places Ghana 100th out of 200 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Trade in services (% of GDP) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 11.4% | — |
| 1976 | 13.5% | +18.0% |
| 1977 | 12.2% | -9.4% |
| 1978 | 10.8% | -11.5% |
| 1979 | 8.9% | -17.6% |
| 1980 | 8.5% | -4.8% |
| 1981 | 9.8% | +15.8% |
| 1982 | 8.2% | -16.2% |
| 1983 | 4.3% | -48.2% |
| 1984 | 4.7% | +10.0% |
| 1985 | 4.6% | -2.6% |
| 1986 | 5.2% | +12.8% |
| 1987 | 6.8% | +32.1% |
| 1988 | 6.6% | -2.6% |
| 1989 | 6.8% | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 6.6% | -3.3% |
| 1991 | 6.7% | +1.2% |
| 1992 | 9.0% | +35.9% |
| 1993 | 9.9% | +9.4% |
| 1994 | 10.4% | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 9.0% | -13.7% |
| 1996 | 8.4% | -6.9% |
| 1997 | 9.2% | +9.6% |
| 1998 | 14.7% | +60.0% |
| 1999 | 14.4% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 21.8% | +51.3% |
| 2001 | 21.4% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 19.1% | -10.9% |
| 2003 | 20.3% | +6.6% |
| 2004 | 20.1% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 22.1% | +10.2% |
| 2006 | 14.0% | -37.0% |
| 2007 | 15.4% | +10.5% |
| 2008 | 14.3% | -7.4% |
| 2009 | 18.1% | +26.6% |
| 2010 | 13.9% | -23.1% |
| 2011 | 13.9% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 18.2% | +30.5% |
| 2013 | 11.7% | -35.6% |
| 2014 | 12.2% | +4.6% |
| 2015 | 27.2% | +122.3% |
| 2016 | 24.9% | -8.6% |
| 2017 | 26.6% | +7.1% |
| 2018 | 26.3% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 34.3% | +30.5% |
| 2020 | 28.2% | -17.8% |
| 2021 | 25.9% | -8.0% |
| 2022 | 26.0% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 24.7% | -5.0% |
| 2024 | 24.9% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 21.6% | -13.3% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 21.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 13.8%, 1.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 21.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 12.7%, 1.7× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Trade in services (% of GDP) in Ghana changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | +122.3% | 12.2% | 27.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 11.4% | 8.9% | 13.5% | 5 |
| 1980s | 6.5% | 4.3% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 9.8% | 6.6% | 14.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 18.7% | 14.0% | 22.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 20.9% | 11.7% | 34.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.2% | 21.6% | 28.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More economy & growth data for Ghana
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 3.15 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 457.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 0.374 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate 430.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 0.2731 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0077 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is trade in services in Ghana?
- Trade in services in Ghana was 21.6% in 2025, according to Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest trade in services recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 34.3% in 2019.
- What is the lowest trade in services recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 1983.
- How does Ghana rank for trade in services?
- Ghana ranks 100th out of 200 countries with data for 2025.
- Is trade in services rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Balance of Payments Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Trade in services (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total trade in services includes services provided by residents to non-residents plus services provided by non-residents to residents. This indicator is expressed as a percentage of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) which is the total income earned through the production of goods and services in an economic territory during an accounting period.