The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has attributed the country’s 5.7% economic growth in 2024 to the strong performance of the services sector, particularly the increased use of data and SMS under the Information and Communication Services category.

Addressing Parliament on Wednesday, March 11, Government Statistician Professor Samuel Kobina Anim emphasized that services contributed the most to the overall growth, surpassing other sectors.

“Of the 5.7% growth rate that we saw in GDP, the services sector contributed the most, 2.51% of the 5.7% GDP growth rate that we saw for 2024.

“Followed by the industry sector, which mining and quarrying is part of, which gold is part of, contributed to 2.24% of that.

“Within the service sector, what is driving the service sector is information and communication. And in this case, it’s data and SMS messages that we are using,” he stated.

This clarification counters an earlier assertion by Finance Minister Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, who, during the presentation of the 2025 budget, credited the economic expansion primarily to illegal small-scale mining, known as galamsey.