Ghana’s Finance Minister, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, has said public confidence increases when citizens can access the same economic figures used by their leaders, allowing them to hold the government to account.
Dr Forson made the comments in the foreword to Ghana in Numbers 2025, a report produced by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS).
He described openness as the basis of a confident nation, saying sound decisions must begin with an accurate understanding of the country’s position.
“Numbers provide that truth,” he said, adding that reliable facts help people make better choices for their families, businesses and the wider country.
“That is why, as Minister for Finance, I placed Ghana in Numbers at the heart of Government’s plans,” he said.
The publication follows a commitment made by Dr Forson in Parliament during the 2026 Budget. He said then: “In 2026, the GSS will unveil a flagship annual publication, Ghana in Numbers, that tells our national story through data.”
He confirmed that the current report is the first edition of that publication and said it would now be produced every year.
The Finance Minister said the project was important because public resources and government authority needed to be supported by information available to the public.
“Government stands behind this report for a simple reason. Public money and public power must be matched by public facts. When citizens can see the very same figures their leaders use, trust grows and government can be held to account. Openness is the foundation of a confident nation,” he said.
Dr Forson also linked Ghana in Numbers to broader efforts to improve the quality and credibility of the country’s official statistics.
Those measures include the rebasing of national income, or GDP, and consumer price figures, together with other reforms to the national statistical system. He said the combined changes would provide Ghana with a stronger evidence base for future decisions.
“My commitment is plain: the figures in this book will guide the choices we make. Good policy is not built on opinion or guesswork,” he said.
“It is built on evidence. Here, year after year, that evidence is gathered in one trusted place.”
Dr Forson credited the Ghana Statistical Service with turning complex information into a publication accessible to the public. He thanked the Government Statistician, as well as the management and staff of the Service, for their “skill and dedication”.
He also praised the Board for providing the leadership and guidance behind the project, saying Ghana had benefited from their work.
The minister urged all Ghanaians, including students, teachers, traders, farmers, public officers and other citizens, to read and use the report.
“Our national story is written in these numbers. Let us read it honestly and together write its next chapter,” he said.
