A July 15th report by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has shown that informal cross-border trade in Ghana has surpassed formal cross-border trade. For context, previous reports by Afreximbank, ADB, et al, noted that informal cross-border trade provides a livelihood for about 43% of Africans.

The informal cross-border trade sector is a $17.6 billion annual industry that comprises traders who move goods across borders without completing formal documentation. Informal cross-border traders often pay an informal toll and follow “panya” routes, bypassing declaration queues.

Inside the Informal Cart: What is Moving?

They trade goods like staple grains, crops like rice, maize, beans, sorghum, millet, and cassava flour/chips. These informal traders trade perishable goods such as tomatoes, vegetables, onions, and fish, cattle, goats, sheep, etc. They also trade in textiles and apparel, electronics and machinery, and fuel and petroleum products.

Cracking the Numbers: Ghana’s GH¢31 Billion Revelation

According to the report, Ghana's informal trade with neighbouring countries hit a record GH¢31 billion, surpassing the GH¢20 billion recorded in the formal sector for the first three quarters of 2025 between January and September. The figure was revealed after the GSS conducted its first continuous measurement of informal trade activities, tracking transactions across 206 border points.

Going by the report, informal trade accounted for about 6% of Ghana's total trade volume, uncovering the massive scale of economic activities previously considered blind spots in national statistics.