The Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) says building inflation remained steady at 2.2 percent in April 2026, indicating relative stability in construction costs despite price increases in several key building materials.
According to the latest Prime Building Cost Index (PBCI) report released on May 27, 2026, the index rose to 136.1 in April 2026, up from 133.2 recorded in April 2025. This reflects a 2.2 percent increase in the average cost of building materials over the one-year period.
On a month-on-month basis, construction input prices increased by 1.5 percent between March and April 2026.
The report identified glazing, plumbing, roofing sheets and electrical works as the main drivers of inflation within the construction sector.
Glazing recorded the highest year-on-year inflation rate at 16.2 percent, followed by plumbing at 14.5 percent and roofing sheets at 13 percent.
Electrical works remained the largest contributor to overall building inflation, accounting for 52.8 percent of total inflationary pressure in the sector. Glazing contributed 37.4 percent, while metalwork and plumbing accounted for 23 percent and 22.3 percent respectively.
Despite the increases, some major construction materials recorded price declines during the period. Cement inflation dropped to negative 11.2 percent, while steel registered negative 3.6 percent inflation.
The report also showed that labour inflation slowed to 1 percent in April 2026, down from 1.6 percent in March. However, labour costs still rose by 0.8 percent on a monthly basis.
Government Statistician, Alhassan Iddrisu, explained that the revised Prime Building Cost Index now uses 2023 as its base year and tracks 406 items across all 16 regions to provide more accurate and timely data on construction cost trends in Ghana.
The Ghana Statistical Service advised households and developers planning construction projects to take advantage of lower prices for materials such as cement and steel, while budgeting carefully for higher-cost items including glazing, plumbing and roofing sheets.