Ghana exported 85.4 tonnes of small-scale and artisanal gold worth $11.6 billion between 1 January and 20 October 2026, Ghana Gold Board chief executive Sammy Gyamfi announced on Tuesday, 20 October.
That volume exceeded exports from large mining companies by 9.4 tonnes over the same period. Large-scale producers shipped 76 tonnes worth $11.1 billion, according to figures published by GoldBod and reported by Ghanaian outlet MyJoyOnline.
The value recorded since January has already exceeded the $10.8 billion reported for all of 2025. The volume, however, remains below last year’s full-year record of approximately 104 tonnes. The figure through 20 October should therefore not be described as a new production record.
GoldBod attributes the increase in declared exports to its statutory role in purchasing, valuing and exporting small-scale gold, as well as tighter licensing and controls. The agency believes these measures have moved some gold previously traded through smuggling routes into officially recorded channels.
Bringing more gold into formal channels does not in itself resolve environmental traceability concerns. A Ghanaian specialist quoted by Reuters on 19 October said some small-scale gold linked to deforestation was still entering international markets. GoldBod also said it had delivered 1.8 tonnes of industrial gold worth $224 million to the Bank of Ghana since the start of the year.