Ghana’s inflation outlook may be improving, but a sharp rise in food prices is emerging as a new concern, Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu has warned.

Speaking on JoyNews’ PM Express Business Edition on Thursday, he described the country’s recent inflation performance as a major achievement but cautioned that rising food costs could undermine the gains if left unchecked.

“By all standards, this is a remarkable turnaround, and every Ghanaian should know this,” he said.

However, he noted that beneath the positive headline figures, food inflation moved in the opposite direction in May. According to him, food inflation rose to 3.3% year-on-year in May 2026 from 2.2% in April.

“But having said that, here’s the thing. I mean, one within that good general story, we saw food prices actually rise in May. Food inflation rose to 3.3% year on year, up from 2.2% in April,” he said.

Dr Iddrisu revealed that food prices increased by 2% within a single month between April and May 2026, describing it as one of the fastest monthly increases recorded recently.

“And in fact, in just one month, that’s between April and May 2026, we saw food prices actually jumped 2%, and that’s one of the fastest we have seen, you know, in a single month in terms of price movements, and so the Ghana Statistical Services are watching that very, very closely,” he stated.

The Government Statistician identified tomatoes as one of the biggest drivers of the recent food price shock. He said tomato prices recorded dramatic increases on both a yearly and a monthly basis.

“So, tomato prices actually shot up 35.8% over the year, that is between May 2025 and May 2026 35.8% and in fact, in just the month of May, which is between April and May 2026 alone, the prices of tomatoes actually jumped up 38.8%, so that’s a real supply shock,” he explained.

He linked the surge to disruptions in tomato imports from Burkina Faso following attacks on Ghanaian traders and a subsequent export ban imposed earlier this year.

“As we all know, earlier this year, Ghanaian traders were attacked in Burkina Faso, and an export ban followed that disrupted tomato supply into our market, and even after the ban, you know, was reversed on April 2, the damage was already done, and prices, you know, already spiked,” he said.

Beyond food, Dr Iddrisu pointed to charcoal as another major contributor to inflationary pressures. He disclosed that charcoal prices rose by more than 50% over the past year and now account for the largest share of Ghana’s overall inflation rate.

“Now, if you look at the data that we released a few days ago, charcoal prices rose by 50.1% over the year, meaning year on year, that is between May 2025 and May 2026, and charcoal is actually the single largest contributor to our national inflation, and it actually accounts for about 13.1% of total inflation figure we saw in May,” he said.

He added that the impact is being felt across households because charcoal remains a primary cooking fuel for many families.

“As we know, many Ghanaian homes still cook with charcoal, and when that cost goes up, everyone feels it,” Dr Iddrisu said.