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Ghana
(information)
Population as of 2020: 31 million 47 of 193
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Region: West Africa
Nominal G.D.P. in 2024: $82.8 billion 78 of 193
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Top Exports
Total exports: **~$20–24 billion (2024)** **Extremely concentrated economy:** just **gold, oil, and cocoa account for ~78–83% of exports** | Rank | Export Category | Notes | | ---- | -------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Precious metals (gold)** ⭐ | Dominates exports (~50–55%) | | 2 | **Mineral fuels (crude oil)** | Second-largest (~17–18%) | | 3 | **Cocoa & cocoa products** | Core agricultural export (~8–10%) | | 4 | **Ores, slag & ash (manganese)** | Key mining export | | 5 | **Fruits & nuts (cashews, tropical fruits)** | Growing agro-export | | 6 | **Rubber & rubber products** | Important plantation export | | 7 | **Fish & seafood (tuna)** | Processed and preserved fish | | 8 | **Vegetable oils (palm oil, shea)** | Agricultural processing | | 9 | **Wood & timber products** | Forestry exports | | 10 | **Aluminum & aluminum products** | Industrial metals | Key individual export products (by value) | Rank | Product | Notes | | ---- | ---------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------- | | 11 | **Gold bullion** | #1 export by far (~55% of total) | | 12 | **Crude petroleum oils** | #2 export | | 13 | **Cocoa beans** | Major raw agricultural export | | 14 | **Cocoa paste** | Processed cocoa product | | 15 | **Cocoa butter** | Value-added cocoa export | | 16 | **Manganese ore** | Key mineral export | | 17 | **Cashew nuts (in shell)** | Major non-cocoa agricultural export | | 18 | **Prepared tuna (canned fish)** | Leading seafood export | | 19 | **Shea butter & oils** | Niche agricultural product | | 20 | **Timber (logs & processed wood)** | Forestry sector | Key Takeaways * 🥇 **Gold dominates overwhelmingly:** * Over **half of all export revenue** comes from gold * 🛢️ **Oil is the second pillar:** * Petroleum exports are the **#2 contributor** * 🍫 **Cocoa remains essential:** * Ghana is the **world’s #2 cocoa exporter** * ⚠️ **Highly concentrated economy:** * Top 3 exports = **~80% of total exports** * 🌱 **Limited diversification beyond commodities:** * Other exports (cashews, tuna, timber) are relatively small Top Importers of Ghana’s Exports (2024) | Rank | Country | Notes | | ---- | ------------------------ | --------------------------------------------- | | 1 | **Switzerland** | Largest buyer; gold refining and trading hub. | | 2 | **China** | Gold, oil, and raw materials. | | 3 | **India** | Gold and cocoa products. | | 4 | **United Arab Emirates** | Gold and precious metals trade. | | 5 | **Netherlands** | Cocoa and EU distribution hub. | | 6 | **United States** | Cocoa products, oil, and agriculture. | | 7 | **United Kingdom** | Gold, cocoa, and historical trade links. | | 8 | **Spain** | Cocoa and agricultural products. | | 9 | **South Africa** | Gold and regional trade. | | 10 | **France** | Cocoa and agricultural exports. | Key Patterns * 🪙 **Gold dominates trade partners**: * Countries like **Switzerland, UAE, and India** appear due to **gold refining and trading** * 🍫 **Cocoa drives European demand**: * EU countries import cocoa for **processing and chocolate production** * 🌍 **Globally diversified markets**: * Exports go to **Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America** * 🔁 **Trade hubs matter**: * **Switzerland, UAE, and Netherlands** act as major **global trading centers**
