Ghana has strengthened its position as a global gold powerhouse after overtaking the United States to become the world’s sixth-largest gold-producing country, following a record surge in output in 2025.
The country produced 185 tonnes, equivalent to a record 5.94 million ounces of gold during the year, pushing it ahead of the United States, which experienced a decline in production.
Director of Analysis, Research and Finance at the Ghana Chamber of Mines, Christopher Nyarko, disclosed the new ranking in an interview with Channel One TV on Monday, August 17.
“We are number six. We’re number six now, right after Peru. So globally, China, Russia, Australia, Canada, Peru, then Ghana comes in, and then the United States follow,” Mr Nyarko said.
Ghana had traditionally occupied seventh position on the global gold production table, but increased domestic output, combined with a fall in US production, propelled the country one place higher.
“Last year [2025], Ghana overtook the US, but traditionally, we’ve always been number seven,” he explained.
Mr Nyarko attributed the decline in US production partly to technical challenges in Nevada, one of the country’s major gold-producing regions.
“Last year [2025], they ran into some technical issues. So production for the country as a whole dropped. And of course, given the dynamics in Ghana, we saw Ghana displace the United States,” he added.
A major driver of Ghana’s record performance was the small-scale mining sector, which accounted for 52.38 per cent of the country’s total gold production in 2025.
The development marked the first time in more than a century of commercial gold production in Ghana that small-scale miners produced more gold than the large-scale mining sector.
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Ghana now trails only China, Russia, Australia, Canada and Peru in global gold production, although Mr Nyarko noted that rankings among some of the leading producers could vary depending on the source of the data.
“Even depending on the kind of source of your data, there’s always some tension between Russia, China, and Australia, in terms of who is the largest producer,” he said.
The Chamber expects Ghana’s upward trajectory to continue in 2026, projecting national gold production of between 6.1 million and 6.7 million ounces.
