Ghana: Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Ghana's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) fell 4% on 2022 (from US$17.49 billion to US$16.78 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +15.1% and a typical year strayed about 48.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 246.8% in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 45.2% in 1991. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about US$316.36 million a year. A straight line explains 31% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Ghana had the 78th highest value of the 205 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Ghana in the 2023 ranking

• Costa Rica — 75th of 205: US$18.15 billion
• Côte d'Ivoire — 76th of 205: US$18.06 billion
• Luxembourg — 77th of 205: US$16.87 billion
• Mongolia — 79th of 205: US$15.21 billion
• Myanmar — 80th of 205: US$14.68 billion
• Turkmenistan — 81st of 205: US$14.39 billion

What this measures

Merchandise exports by the reporting economy are the total merchandise exports by the reporting economy to the rest of the world, as reported in the IMF's Direction of trade database. Data are in current US$.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 64 values

Merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) in nearby economies

• Angola — US$38.48 billion (2023)
• Benin — US$1.05 billion (2023)
• Botswana — US$5.08 billion (2023)
• Burkina Faso — US$4.46 billion (2023)
• Burundi — US$156.8 million (2023)
• Cabo Verde — US$170.84 million (2023)
• Cameroon — US$4.45 billion (2023)
• Central African Republic — US$115.95 million (2023)
• Chad — US$4.22 billion (2023)

More private sector & trade data for Ghana

• Merchandise trade (% of GDP) — 42.52% (2025)
• Merchandise imports (current US$) — US$17.45 billion (2025)
• Merchandise exports (current US$) — US$31.11 billion (2025)
• Merchandise imports from economies in the Arab World (% of total merchandise imports) — 10.1% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from high-income economies (% of total merchandise imports) — 56.4% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies outside region (% of total merchandise imports) — 36.6% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in East Asia & Pacific (% of total merchandise imports) — 22.78% (2023)
• Merchandise imports from low- and middle-income economies in Latin America & the Caribbean (% of total merchandise imports)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Ghana's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$)?

US$16.78 billion in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 5,626% from US$293.1 million in 1960 (6.64% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was US$18.15 billion in 2011 and the lowest US$214.2 million in 1966.

How does Ghana rank?

78th highest of 205 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) unusual for Ghana?

In 2023, Ghana's merchandise exports by the reporting economy (current US$) fell 4% on 2022 (from US$17.49 billion to US$16.78 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +15.1% and a typical year strayed about 48.8% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator TX.VAL.MRCH.WL.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Staff estimates, World Bank (WB); Direction of Trade database, International Monetary Fund (IMF) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.