Minister for Finance, Cassiel Ato Forson, is presenting a mid-year review of the 2026 budget and economic policy statement he presented to Parliament in November 2025.
In the 2026 budget, Ato Forson outlined planned spending for the John Dramani Mahama administration in its second year in office. You can read our live fact-checking of his address.
This live fact-check will verify claims from the minister’s presentation of the 2026 mid-year budget.
Claim 1: Reduced number of ministries from 30 to 23
“We reduced the number of ministers to 123 at its peak to 60 and reduced the number of ministries from 30 to 23 because a leaner government is not merely good politics but also sound fiscal policy.”
Fact-check:
The Akufo-Addo government created 36 ministries in its first term per Executive Instrument (EI 28 of 2017), after restructuring in 2021, the ministries were slashed to 28 per the Civil Service (Ministries) Instrument (EI 12). The second Akufo-Addo government did not create 30 ministries. It however appointed 30 ministers, 28 to head the created ministries and two other ministers who held positions in existing ministries, not heading new ministries.
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The two were: Minister of Public Enterprises operating from the presidency and a Minister of State for the Works and Housing Ministry in addition to the substantive minister. This was contained in a press release by the then presidential press secretary, Eugene Arhin.
Verdict:
The claim that the Akufo-Addo administration left behind 30 ministries is false. You can read our previous report on this here.
Claim 2: The size of Ghana’s economy exceeding US$100 billion
“For the first time in our nation’s history, the size of Ghana’s economy exceeded $100 billion, firmly establishing Ghana as a major emerging market economy.”
Fact-check:
According to IMF data, Ghana’s economy is expected to reach $118.29 billion at the end of 2026. This is the highest GDP record since 1980.
Verdict:
The claim is rated True. You can read our explainer on the size of Ghana’s economy surpassing the US$100 billion mark here.
Claim 3: Inflation has declined
“Inflation declined from 23.8% in December 2024 to 5.4% at the end of 2025, and remained low at 5.3% in June 2026.”
Fact-check:
According to the Consumer Price Index(CPI) of the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ghana recorded an inflation rate of 23.8% at the end of December 2024, and 5.4% at the end of December 2025. The rate stayed at 5.3% as of June 2026.
Verdict:
The claim on inflation is rated True.
Claim 4: Allocation to the DACF
We restored genuine fiscal decentralization, by ensuring that at least 80% of the District Assemblies Common Fund is transferred directly to Assemblies to support local development.
Fact-check:
In 2025, Parliament allocated over 7.5 billion cedis to the DACF. According to the Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, Ahmed Ibrahim, at the April 20 Accountability Series, about 5 billion cedis was disbursed to Assemblies across the four quarters of 2025.
| Quarter | Release from MoF | Amount paid to MMDAs |
| Q1 January – March 2025 | 987 million | 790 million |
| Q2 April – June 2025 | 1.8 billion | 1.4 billion |
| Q3 July – September 2025 | 1.46 billion | 1.18 billion |
| Q4 October to December 2025 | 1.9 billion | 1.592 billion |
| Totals | 6.207 billion | 4.962 billion (80%) |
From the above, 4.9 billion Ghana cedis of the allocated 7.5 billion Ghana cedis is about 66.58%. But 4.9 billion of the total releases of GH¢6.207 billion is 80% paid to MMDAs.
Verdict
The claim is True.
Claim 5: Real GDP growth data
“Real GDP growth grew by 6.0% in 2025, the fastest pace of economic expansion since 2019.”
Fact-Check
According to the Government Statistician, Dr. Alhassan Idrissu : “For the full year 2025, Ghana’s economy grew by 6.0% slightly higher than the 5.8% recorded in 2024.”
Verdict:
The Minister’s claim is rated True.
Claim 6: Multidimensional poverty statistics
“Multidimensional poverty, which measures deprivation across living conditions, education, health and employment declined from 24.9% in Q3 of 2024 to 21.9% in Q3 of 2025. This simply means that, about 950,000 moved out of multidimensional poverty in just 1 year.”
Fact-check:
The government statistician, Dr Alhassan Iddrisu, during his January 21, 2026 briefing on the Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) stated, 950,000 people escaped multidimensional poverty between the third Quarter of 2024 and the third Quarter of 2025.
According to data from the GSS, the multidimensional poverty declined from 24.9% in 2024 Q3 to 21.9% by 2025 Q3.
Therefore, multidimensional poverty declined to 21.95% in Q3 of 2025, and 950,000 people moved out of multidimensional poverty in a year.
Verdict:
The claim is True.
Claim 7: Ghana’s GDP per capita data
“Ghana’s per capita income increased by more than $850 dollars in just one year. Mr. Speaker, rising from $2527 in 2024, to $3385 at the end of 2025. This is the highest per capita income ever recorded in our country’s history. It is therefore not surprising that Ghana is now recognised as the 8th largest economy in Africa.”
Fact-check:
According to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), Ghana’s per capita income was $2527 in 2024 and $3385 in 2025, an increase of US$858. However, the World Bank gives slightly lower figures on Ghana’s per capita income. They put it at $2419.3 in 2024 and $3257.2 in 2025, representing an increase of $837.9 in one year.
| Institution | 2024 GDP per capita | 2025 GDP per capita |
| GSS | 2527 | 3385 |
| World Bank | 2419.3 | 3257 |
Verdict:
The claim is rated True.
Claim 8: Unemployment data Q3 2024 vs. Q3 2025
“Unemployment declined from 13.7% during the first 3 quarters of 2024 to 12.8% over the same period in 2025.”
Fact-check:
Ghana recorded an unemployment rate of 13.3% in quarter 3 of 2024, and declined to 13.0% at the end of quarter 3 of 2025, according to data from the GSS.
Verdict:
Therefore, the claim is False.
Claim 9: Non-oil tax revenue
“Non-oil tax revenue increased by 0.5% of GDP from 12.6 percent of GDP in 2024 to 13.1% in 2025.”
Fact-check:
“Non-oil tax revenue in 2024 reached 12.2% in 2024 based on the 2024 mid-year fiscal report from the Ministry of Finance (see page 14). In 2025, non-oil tax revenue reached 13.5% based on the 2025 mid-year fiscal report from the Ministry of Finance (see page 88).
Verdict:
This means non-oil tax revenue increased by 1.3% not the 0.5% the Minister referred to. Therefore the minister understated the claim.
NOTE: Fact-check of Claim 1 has been edited to give better clarity and correct a mistake that said the first Akufo-Addo government appointed 28 ministries instead of 36. We also embedded a screenshot of a statement from the presidency explaining the role of two extra ministers who did not head substantive ministries.
Verdict of claim 4 has also been reviewed from False to True. The initial verdict was arrived at using parliamentary allocation (in that case 100% release of funds) instead of releases by the Finance Ministry, which deals with actuals not projections.
