A new national survey on Ghana’s cost of living has revealed growing economic pressure on households, with only 17.4% of citizens describing the cost of living in the first quarter of 2026 as low compared to the end of 2025.
The report, presented by research methodologist and data management consultant, Prof. Smart Sarpong, showed a sharp decline from the 68.8% recorded in 2025, when many citizens believed living conditions had improved compared to 2024.
The Cost of Living Outlook report, released on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, was conducted across eight regions, covering 4,155 households in 2,350 communities within 100 constituencies between April 14 and April 19, 2026.
According to the findings, 39.9% of respondents described the current cost of living as high, while 42.8% said conditions remained largely unchanged from the end of 2025.
The report identified electricity, public transportation, and call credit/internet expenses as the top three items negatively affecting living conditions in the country.
Electricity topped the list, with 58.3% of respondents describing electricity costs as high or very high. Public transport followed with 53.4%, while 49.5% expressed similar concerns about internet and call credit expenses.
Food costs also remained a major burden, with 47.7% of respondents describing them as high.
The study further revealed widening income disparities between public and private sector workers.
According to the report, 58% of private sector employees earn GH¢2,000 or less monthly, compared to 19.7% of workers in the public sector.
It added that for similar middle-to-low level jobs such as teaching and nursing, private sector workers often earn two to three times less than their counterparts in the public sector.
Overall, the survey found that 72.9% of workers across all sectors earn GH¢2,000 or less monthly, while only 4.7% receive salaries above GH¢5,000.
The report also highlighted the financial struggles of many households, noting that 67.8% of respondents are unable to save money at the end of the month because their expenditures exceed their incomes.
On feeding habits, 79.4% of respondents said cooking at home is cheaper than eating out.
Average monthly household expenditure figures captured in the report included GH¢1,262.80 on food, GH¢488.22 on public transport, GH¢562.78 on rent, GH¢227.44 on electricity, and GH¢139.10 on internet and call credit.
Prof. Sarpong described the findings as a matter of urgent concern for government and relevant stakeholders, stressing the need for interventions to ease the economic burden on citizens
