Ghana’s building cost inflation falls to 4% from 14.2% in a year – GSS

Ghana’s building cost inflation has fallen sharply to 4.0% in July 2026, down from 14.2% recorded during the same period a year earlier.

The latest figures indicate a significant slowdown in the rate at which building inputs are becoming more expensive, offering some relief to households, contractors and other players in the construction sector.

However, the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has identified rising costs of plant and equipment as a key risk to watch despite the broader moderation in building cost inflation.

“A year ago, building cost inflation stood at 14.2%. In July 2026 it is 4.0%,” Government Statistician Dr Alhassan Iddrisu said in an update on the July 2026 Prime Building Cost Index (PBCI).

The PBCI also recorded a 0.3% month-on-month increase in building input prices between June and July 2026.

The GSS said the modest monthly increase suggested that building costs remained relatively steady, with only a gradual rise in input prices.

Materials, which account for more than three-quarters of the PBCI basket, recorded a year-on-year increase of 5.1% and contributed most of the upward pressure on building costs.

However, the sharpest increase was recorded in plant, covering machinery and equipment, which rose by 18.0% over the year.

“The sharpest rise is in plant (machinery and equipment), up 18.0%. This is the main risk we are watching,” Dr Iddrisu said.

The GSS said the figures were based on prices collected from market players, with the PBCI providing an indication of movements in the cost of building inputs in Ghana.