By Francis Ntow
Accra, Nov. 2, GNA – Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama, the Governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), has urged the Ghana Statistical Service to make Ghana’s socio-economic data available through a dedicated electronic portal in accessible and machine-readable formats.
He said the move would enhance the maiden Ghana in Numbers report, allowing for deeper, more insightful analysis using modern technology, including artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced data analytics tools effectively.
Dr Asiama made the call at the official launch of the maiden edition of the Ghana in Numbers 2025 report in Accra on Thursday. The report provides a comprehensive overview of Ghana’s socio-economic indicators, demographic trends and other key statistics.
“Advances in data science, AI and machine learning are creating new opportunities to identify patterns, improve forecasts, assess risks and generate insights from increasingly large and complex datasets,” he said.
“Ghana in Numbers can go a step further to enhance its value and impact by making the underlying data series available through a dedicated electronic portal in accessible, machine-readable and readily usable formats,” he added.
The Governor noted the platform would enable researchers, policymakers and others to apply AI and advanced tools to explore data deeply and uncover hidden patterns, interrelationships and correlations beyond published tables and charts.
He commended the GSS for the initiative, describing it as a national resource that made official statistics more accessible to stakeholders, laying a foundation for understanding Ghana’s progress, identifying emerging challenges and shaping national priorities.
Governor Asiama noted that advancements in data science, AI and machine learning were complementing conventional economic analysis and strengthening the Central bank’s ability to respond to changing economic conditions.
The Bank was advancing its capacity through its new Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Department to strengthen data governance, expand analytics and promote responsible technology use in policymaking decisions, he said.
He also disclosed the development of a directive to regulate the use of AI in the financial sector, in line with its policy to promote innovation while addressing emerging risks.
Effective monetary policy and financial-sector regulation depended fundamentally on the quality of data available, he said, noting that as an inflation-targeting Central Bank, its decisions were forward-looking and data-driven.
“Let us see Ghana in Numbers not merely as a statistical publication, but as a national resource for understanding our circumstances, evaluating our progress and making better decisions about our collective future,” Dr Asiama said.
The maiden Ghana in Numbers – GSS national record book observed that in 2025, Ghana’s population and economy grew, life expectancy rose over time, but many young people could not find work.
Ghana’s population reached 33.7 million in 2025, the economy, in nominal terms, reached about GHS1.4 trillion, recording a Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of six per cent, and an end year inflation rate of 5.4 per cent.
The report also noted that Ghana’s businesses nearly tripled, reaching 2,644,363 in 2024, but people working in them doubles to 6.90 million, indicating that more businesses were created than employment.
“More people are working or looking for work, but the quality of jobs has not kept up. The share of adults working or seeking work rose from 67.1 percent in 2022 to an average of 74.5 percent during the first three quarters of 2025,” the report said.
Based on the findings, Dr Iddrisu advised the Government to build budgets around the numbers, as district assemblies used local figures to allocate spending, with Parliament demanding measurable baselines for new programmes yearly.
He also urged employers and investors to help turn informal jobs into formal ones, a way to improve job quality, emphasising that the country’s business base had only 7.7 per cent of establishments being formal.
He urged development partners, researchers, civil society, the media and citizens to hold institutions to the numbers, saying, “these figures are not just a record of the past. They are a tool for deciding what happens next.”
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
Reporter: Francis Ntow
Email: [email protected]