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Ghana's currency, the cedi, has undergone a remarkable transformation in 2025, emerging as the world's best-performing currency just two and a half years after being ranked the world's worst in 2022. This extraordinary turnaround has seen the cedi appreciate by nearly 50% against the US dollar since January, strengthening from 15 cedis per dollar to approximately 10.2 cedis today. Such a dramatic shift deserves examination to understand both its causes and potential sustainability.
The foundations of this currency revival can be traced to December's decisive election results, which saw John Mahama and the NDC secure the largest margin of victory in Ghana's recent electoral history. This political shift signalled improved investor confidence, as the new administration quickly implemented substantial economic reforms. These included cutting government expenditure and waste—areas the previous administration had been reluctant to address—and streamlining the budget through measures that proved popular with both voters and the business community, such as eliminating the COVID levy, emissions levy, and e-levy.
Perhaps the most striking economic achievement has been the stabilization of inflation. At the close of 2022, Ghana's inflation rate stood at a staggering 54.8%. While it had declined to around 28% by the last election, it has now fallen to approximately 18.4%, down from 23% in May. This downward trajectory reflects the current government's commitment to fiscal discipline, including restrictions on first-class travel for government officials.
The successful restructuring of $13 billion in Eurobond debt has further eased Ghana's external debt burden. With the cedi's appreciation against the dollar, the government has effectively paid half of its restructured debt to external creditors, creating more fiscal space. This debt restructuring, combined with disciplined spending, is expected to reduce Ghana's debt-to-GDP ratio from 95% in 2022 to approximately 60% by the end of this year.

Agriculture, particularly crops like cocoa and cashew nuts, has experienced strong growth supported by irrigation and mechanization programs. The mining sector, especially lithium (which is crucial for AI and electric vehicles), is expanding rapidly, alongside manufacturing and construction. These factors have led to credit rating upgrades, with Fitch recently improving Ghana's rating from default to B- with a stable outlook.

Outlook ==== The World Bank and IMF both acknowledge Ghana's progress but stress the importance of:

  • Continuing fiscal discipline
  • Enhancing domestic revenue mobilization
  • Implementing structural reforms in energy, agriculture, and finance

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Chapters

1. Introduction to Ghana in Focus (00:00:00)

2. Ghana's Cedi: World's Best Performer (00:04:28)

3. Key Factors Driving Currency Appreciation (00:09:48)

4. Inflation Stabilization and Fiscal Discipline (00:15:19)

5. Sectoral Growth Boosting the Economy (00:21:00)

6. The Sustainability Challenge (00:23:16)

7. Economic Outlook for Ghana (00:26:56)

8. Next Week: African Tourism Spotlight (00:31:51)

158 episodes