Economy Expanded by 3.1% In 1st Quarter Of 2021 – GSS

The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) has reported that the country’s economy expanded by 3.1% in the first quarter of 2021.

This is said to the lowest growth since 2019.

Even so, it reports that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) had a growth rate of 7.0%.

Construction (14.2%)), Manufacturing (6.1%) and Information and Communication (22.1%) sub-sectors were the main drivers of growth for the first three months according to the GSS.

The report said the Agriculture sector recorded the highest growth of 4.3%. This is followed by the Services sector with a growth of 4.0%.

Industry also expanded by 1.3% with the Construction sub-sector recording a 3.5% growth in the 1st quarter of 2021, compared to 1.9% growth recorded in the 4th quarter of 2020. The Manufacturing sub-sector grew by 2.0% in the 1st quarter of 2021 compared to a growth of 2.9% in the 4th quarter of 2020.

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Within the Agriculture sector, the crops sub-sector grew by 1.4% in the 1st quarter of 2021, compared to 2.8% in the 4th quarter of 2021. The Livestock subsector also grew by 1.3% compared to 1.7% recorded in the 4th quarter of 2020. The Forestry and Logging subsector grew by 0.1% compared to a contraction of 2.4% in the 4th quarter of 2020. The Fishing sub-sector however contracted by -0.9% compared to a growth of 0.4% in the 4th quarter of 2020.

The Water Supply, Sewerage, Waste Management & Remediation Activities sub-sector grew by 1.6% in the 1st quarter of 2021, compared to a growth of 0.5% in the 4th quarter of 2020 according to the GSS.

The Mining and Quarrying sub-sector however continued to contract by 2.6% in the 1st quarter of 2021, from -3.0% recorded in the 4th quarter of 2020, the report said.

In the Services sector, Real Estate and Information & Communication grew at a lower rate of 2.4% and 4.3% respectively in the 1st quarter of 2021, compared to a growth of 9.4% in Real Estate activities and 6.6% growth in Information & Communication in the 4th quarter of 2020.

The Trade; Repair of Vehicles, Household Goods also grew to 0.8% in the 1st quarter of 2021 compared to a growth of 1.4% in the 4th quarter of 2020.

Compared to the 4th quarter of 2020, the Public Administration & Defense, Social Security grew by 1.4% in 2021 quarter one. There were contractions in the sub-sectors of Hotel and Restaurants (-4.4%) and Professional, Administrative & Support (-0.8%).

The report said the Services sector was the largest sector of the Ghanaian economy in the first quarter of 2021 with a share of 53% of GDP at basic prices. The GDP share of Industry and Agriculture were 25% and 22% respectively.

GDP estimates at current prices in purchaser’s value for the 1st quarter of 2021 was GH¢119.3 billion compared to GH¢105.3 billion in the 1st quarter of 2020.

Source: whatsupnewsghana