Ghana’s petroleum consumption surged significantly in 2025, with total demand reaching 7.45 billion litres, representing a 15.29% increase over the 6.46 billion litres recorded in 2024, according to the latest industry data.
The sharp rise reflects growing economic activity, increased power generation needs, and expanding industrial demand, even as the country continues to grapple with limited domestic refining capacity and heavy reliance on imports.
Power sector drives surge
A major driver of the increase was fuel allocation to the power sector, which recorded the strongest growth across all categories. Fuel oil used in power plants rose by an extraordinary 946.12%, while gas oil consumption for power generation increased by 184.29%.
Marine Gas Oil (Foreign) also posted strong growth of 143.75%, underscoring rising maritime and offshore activity.
The two most widely consumed fuels—petrol and diesel—both recorded steady increases of more than 18%, maintaining their dominance in Ghana’s petroleum mix.
Petrol, diesel lead consumption
In absolute terms, petrol consumption rose to 3.10 billion litres, while diesel reached 2.76 billion litres, accounting for the largest share of total petroleum usage.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) consumption also increased by 10.52% to 376 million kilograms, reflecting continued adoption of cleaner household energy sources.
Gasoil consumption in the mining sector rose by 15.71% to 422.5 million litres, highlighting sustained activity in the extractive sector.
However, not all segments recorded growth. Marine Gas Oil (Local) declined sharply by 61.70%, while gasoil consumption for telecom cell sites dropped by 37.88%.
Kerosene consumption also fell by 12.24%, continuing its long-term decline as households shift to alternative fuels.
Seasonal demand patterns
The data further revealed clear seasonal consumption trends throughout 2025.
Monthly demand ranged from a low of 556 million litres in February to a peak of 712 million litres in December.
Consumption began the year at 615 million litres in January, dipped in February, and gradually recovered through March and April, reflecting a typical post-festive slowdown.
From May to August, demand stabilised at around 649 million litres, with June and July recording particularly strong figures driven by increased marine fuel usage and mining activity.
The final quarter saw a steady rise in consumption, culminating in December’s peak.
The surge was largely driven by heightened demand for petrol, LPG, aviation turbine kerosene (ATK), gasoil for mines, and premix fuel during the festive season.
Regional consumption trends
Regionally, the Upper East recorded the highest growth rate at 55.5%, with consumption rising from 306 million litres in 2024 to 476 million litres in 2025.
The Bono Ahafo area followed, recording more than 27%growth to reach 491 million litres.
In the Greater Accra Region, consumption increased from 1.8 billion litres to 2 billion litres, representing a 9.87% rise.
The region maintained the largest market share at 27%, followed by the Western Region at 19%.
Refining constraints persist
Despite rising demand, Ghana’s domestic refining capacity remains significantly underutilised due to persistent operational, technical, and financial challenges.
In 2025, total output from the country’s four refineries accounted for only about 18 per cent of national consumption, leaving Ghana heavily dependent on imported petroleum products.
However, the Sentuo Oil Refinery played a critical role in easing supply pressures, contributing approximately 30% of petrol, diesel, and LPG supply in the last quarter of the year.
As of January 2026, Sentuo accounts for about 18 per cent of total national fuel consumption.
The Tema Oil Refinery has also signalled efforts to ramp up production, with ongoing integration works expected to increase its processing capacity from 28,000 to 45,000 barrels per stream day.
Economic implications
The continued reliance on imports exposes Ghana to foreign exchange pressures and global price volatility, particularly in a period of fluctuating crude oil prices.
While increased consumption signals economic recovery and industrial growth, it also raises concerns about energy security and sustainability.
Industry analysts note that if ongoing refinery upgrades are successfully completed and supported by consistent crude supply and financing, domestic refining could meet between 18 and 25% of national demand in the near term.
For policymakers, the data highlights a dual challenge: sustaining fuel supply to support growth while accelerating investments in local refining to reduce import dependence and strengthen energy resilience
