Ghana Africa

Ghana Lifts Daily Minimum Wage 15% for 2027

By Amina Diarra · November 10, 2026 · 4 min read

A crowded street in front of a yellow building with a Welcome to Makola Market sign, with traders under umbrellas — The entrance of Makola Market in central Accra, with traders and shoppers in the street; the photo is undated. Photo: Benggriff / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

GHANA · ECONOMY

Ghana will raise its national daily minimum wage, paid in cedis (GH¢), by about 15% to GH¢25.04 (about US$2.14) on 1 January 2027, then by another 15% to GH¢28.79 (about US$2.46) in 2028. The National Tripartite Committee, the panel of government, employers and trade unions that sets the wage, announced the two-year deal on Tuesday, 10 November 2026.

The rate for 2026 is GH¢21.77 (about US$1.86), so the 2027 step adds about 28 US cents a day. For foreign companies with staff in Ghana, the decision sets a planned path for two years.

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Key Facts

2027 rate GH¢25.04 a day (about US$2.14) from 1 January 2027, up about 15% from GH¢21.77.
2028 rate GH¢28.79 a day (about US$2.46) in 2028, another rise of about 15%.
Who decided The National Tripartite Committee: government, employers and trade unions.
Review clause The committee will reconvene if inflation, the exchange rate or growth shifts materially.
Exchange rate US$ values use 11.69 cedis per US$ on 10 November 2026.

What the Committee Decided

The committee set the National Daily Minimum Wage at GH¢25.04 for 2027 and GH¢28.79 for 2028, and told employers to comply from 1 January 2027. Any institution paying less than the new rate must raise wages to it.

The 2026 rate of GH¢21.77 (about US$1.86) was itself a rise of 9% on GH¢19.97 (about US$1.71) in 2025. The new deal accelerates that pace to 15% in each of the next two years.

A white minibus at a roadside in Accra with passengers boarding and women standing on the pavement — Passengers board a minibus in Accra in an undated file photo. Photo: Amuzujoe / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Why a Two-Year Deal Matters

The new framework moves away from annual negotiations. The committee says a multi-year framework gives workers, employers and government more predictability for planning and budgeting, while protecting incomes and supporting stable relations between workers and employers.

The deal is not fully fixed, because the committee can reopen it. If inflation, the exchange rate or economic growth change materially, the committee will meet again and seek adjustments using credible data.

The cedi, Ghana’s currency, is worth about US$0.0855 on 10 November 2026. The dollar value of the new wage will move with the exchange rate.

What Employers Must Do

The committee urges all employers to comply from 1 January 2027. Any worker paid below the new rate must see their wage rise to it.

The committee also asked the government to make the minimum wage exempt from income tax. The request leaves open how it would apply to earlier income-tax rules.

What It Means for You

For US companies and nonprofits that employ people in Ghana, the legal floor rises on 1 January 2027, so payroll budgets need updating. The floor for the lowest-paid workers rises about 28 US cents a day at the 10 November exchange rate.

What Is Not Known

The committee has not said how many workers are paid at or near the minimum. Whether the government will grant the income-tax exemption request is also open.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Ghana’s new minimum wage?

The National Daily Minimum Wage is GH¢25.04 (about US$2.14) from 1 January 2027 and GH¢28.79 (about US$2.46) in 2028. Both figures are daily rates.

How much is the increase?

The 2027 rate is about 15% above the 2026 rate of GH¢21.77. The 2028 rate is a further rise of about 15%.

Who sets Ghana’s minimum wage?

The National Tripartite Committee, which brings together government, employers and trade unions, agreed the rates. It announced them on 10 November 2026.

Can the new wage be changed?

The committee will reconvene to review the rates if inflation, exchange rates or economic growth change materially. Any change would follow consultations based on credible data.

Sources: National Tripartite Committee of Ghana, communiqué on the National Daily Minimum Wage for 2027 and 2028, Accra, 10 November 2026; Ghana’s 2026 minimum wage of GH¢21.77 as set by the same committee; cedi exchange rate on 10 November 2026 from market data.

This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error

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