Ginger ranks third highest contributor to July inflation
By: Rebecca Okine
Ginger has emerged as the third-highest contributor to national inflation in July 2025, following a staggering 128.4 percent year-on-year price increase, according to the latest figures from the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
The sharp rise means consumers are paying more than double for ginger than they did a year ago.
The inflation rate on ginger also marked a reversal from June’s slight decline, with prices climbing 7.7 percent month-on-month in July, signaling a renewed upward trend.
For many Ghanaians, ginger is not a luxury but a staple. It adds flavor to soups, stews, and street foods, while serving as a key ingredient in herbal remedies for colds, coughs, and digestive issues.
As prices soar, however, the impact is being felt widely from homes to market stalls.
Street food vendors are being forced to reduce the quantity of ginger in popular dishes like waakye or pass rising costs on to customers.
Makers of herbal tonics and beverages, who rely heavily on the spice, are also experiencing shrinking profit margins.
Meanwhile, households particularly in urban areas are reconsidering their daily use of ginger, given its soaring price tag.
The price surge is being attributed to multiple factors. Ginger is mainly cultivated in the Ashanti, Eastern, and Northern regions, where inconsistent rainfall, post-harvest losses, and transportation challenges can severely limit supply.
The July rebound likely reflects dwindling availability in the face of sustained demand, especially as consumers stockpile during the lean season.
This latest spike also highlights how inflation is creeping into the most basic elements of daily life.
From market stalls and pharmacies to chop bars and home kitchens, ginger’s rising cost symbolizes the broader struggle many face with the increasing cost of living.
Whether prices will stabilize or continue to rise depends largely on farm-level productivity, supply chain efficiency, and responsive policy measures.
In the meantime, ginger users may need to find ways to stretch their spice or their cedis as the root once known for its healing properties becomes a financial pinch point in the country’s inflation story.
