Ghana Statistical Service to receive sustainable funding from government

The Ghanaian government has committed to providing sustainable financial support to the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS), aimed at ending the institution's long-standing reliance on international donor funding for official data production. Government Statistician Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu announced the pledge during the launch of the "Ghana in Numbers 2025" publication in Accra. This move signifies a strategic shift toward domestic financing for the production of national data, ensuring that critical statistical operations are no longer vulnerable to the fluctuations of external aid.

According to Dr. Iddrisu, the newly committed funds will be directed toward core GSS activities, including national censuses, periodic surveys, and the collection of administrative data. For years, the GSS has depended heavily on donors to execute large-scale projects, but this transition to government-led funding is intended to bolster the country's data sovereignty. The commitment reflects a growing recognition that high-quality, reliable data is a fundamental pillar for effective national development planning and evidence-based policymaking under the current administration.

Beyond financial support, the reform agenda includes a proposed new Statistics Bill designed to overhaul the legal framework governing official statistics in Ghana. The legislation aims to strengthen the GSS's institutional independence and improve coordination across the national statistical system. By modernizing the legal environment, the government seeks to empower the GSS to adopt cutting-edge technologies that will facilitate faster, more relevant data production to meet the needs of a rapidly evolving digital economy.

The move is expected to enhance the credibility and timeliness of economic and social indicators, providing a clearer picture of the nation's progress. As the GSS prepares to implement these reforms, the focus will remain on ensuring that statistical outputs are both accurate and accessible to policymakers, researchers, and the general public. This institutional strengthening serves as a prerequisite for the government's broader agenda of achieving sustainable economic growth through informed decision-making.