Diesel and petrol remained Ghana’s largest imported commodities in 2025, underscoring the country’s continued dependence on imported petroleum products despite ongoing efforts to strengthen domestic refining capacity and improve the external trade balance.
New data from the Ghana Statistical Service’s (GSS) 2025 Annual International Merchandise Trade Statistics Report show that diesel imported for the Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) was Ghana’s single largest import, valued at GH¢28.46 billion and accounting for 11.2 percent of the country’s total import bill.
Light oils, including motor spirit (super), ranked second with imports worth GH¢23.24 billion, representing 9.2 percent of total imports.
Combined, diesel and petrol imports reached GH¢51.7 billion, accounting for more than 20 percent of Ghana’s total imports in 2025 and highlighting the significant impact of energy demand on the country’s import expenditure.
The figures reinforce the strategic importance of expanding domestic petroleum refining and reducing reliance on imported fuel to ease pressure on Ghana’s foreign exchange reserves and improve the country’s trade position.
Beyond petroleum products, the report indicates that used vehicles with engine capacities between 1,500cc and 3,000ccranked as the third-largest import, with a value of GH¢9.33 billion.
Crude petroleum followed in fourth place at GH¢5.78 billion, while cement clinkers, a key input for cement production, completed the top five with imports valued at GH¢4.76 billion.
The remaining commodities in Ghana’s top ten imports included off-highway dumpers, used vehicles with engine capacities between 1,000cc and 1,500cc, self-propelled bulldozers, processed cereal grains, and frozen chicken.
According to the report, the top ten imported commodities accounted for 34.3 percent of Ghana’s total imports, while all other imported goods represented the remaining 65.7 percent.
Overall, Ghana’s total import bill reached GH¢253.23 billion in 2025.
The composition of the country’s import basket reflects the continued dominance of energy, transport equipment and industrial inputs in Ghana’s external trade.
However, the data also highlight persistent structural challenges, including the country’s reliance on imported refined petroleum products and capital goods, despite ongoing investments in local refining, industrialisation and import substitution.
