Total assets of Ghana’s banking sector rose by 20.47% to GH¢500.20 billion at the end of August 2026, up from GH¢415.20 billion a year earlier, Bank of Ghana (BoG) Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama has announced.
The Governor disclosed the figures at the 43rd Annual General Meeting of the Ghana Association of Banks in Accra on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The details were reported by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) and carried by Citi Newsroom and MyJoyOnline on Sunday.
Dr Asiama attributed the growth to improved macroeconomic conditions and the central bank’s regulatory and supervisory reforms.
He also reported stronger capital levels and a sharp drop in the industry’s non-performing loan (NPL) ratio, while setting a December 2026 deadline for banks to bring bad loans within the prudential limit.
Ghana banking sector assets increase by GH¢85bn
The jump from GH¢415.20 billion to GH¢500.20 billion represents an increase of GH¢85 billion in one year.
It is the first time the industry’s total assets have crossed the GH¢500 billion mark in the figures cited by the Governor.
Capital adequacy ratio and NPL ratio: how the figures compare
According to the BoG Governor, key soundness indicators for the sector improved between August 2025 and August 2026:
- Total assets: GH¢415.20bn (Aug 2025) → GH¢500.20bn (Aug 2026), up 20.47%
- Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR): 18.28% → 19.10%, against a 13% regulatory minimum
- Non-Performing Loan (NPL) ratio: 20.77% → 15.66%, a drop of about 5.1 percentage points
- Banks meeting capital requirements: all 23 banks, up from a situation where 13 banks breached requirements in their 2022 audited accounts
All 23 banks now meet capital requirements after DDEP
Dr Asiama said all 23 banks operating in Ghana now meet regulatory capital requirements.
Thirteen banks had breached the requirements in their 2022 audited accounts, after the economic crisis and the Domestic Debt Exchange Programme (DDEP) eroded their capital.
He credited the recovery to efforts by banks, shareholders, investors, the government and the Bank of Ghana.
However, he cautioned that “capital restoration alone was insufficient to guarantee long-term stability,” and urged banks to strengthen their business models, risk management and ability to absorb future shocks.
What the banking sector figures mean for customers and businesses
Higher capital buffers mean banks are better placed to absorb losses, which supports confidence among depositors.
A falling NPL ratio indicates that a smaller share of loans is going bad. Even so, at 15.66%, roughly one in every six cedis lent is still non-performing, well above the 10% ceiling the regulator wants.
For businesses and individuals seeking credit, the push to clean up loan books may shape how banks assess and price new loans in the coming months.
What happens next: 10% NPL deadline and 2027 business model review
Banks have been directed to reduce their NPL ratios to the 10% prudential limit by the end of December 2026.
The BoG completed a thematic review of banks’ business model viability and long-term sustainability in 2025 and shared identified weaknesses with the affected banks. Engagements with their boards and senior management have begun.
A second round of Business Model Analysis is planned for 2027. At the same AGM, the Governor also announced that the central bank is drafting a directive to regulate AI use by banks.
The central bank says it will continue to strengthen its regulatory and supervisory frameworks. Official releases and banking sector data are published on the Bank of Ghana website.
Key details at a glance
- Banking sector total assets: GH¢500.20 billion at end-August 2026
- Growth: 20.47% from GH¢415.20 billion in August 2025
- Capital Adequacy Ratio: 19.10%, up from 18.28% (minimum 13%)
- NPL ratio: 15.66%, down from 20.77%
- All 23 banks meet regulatory capital requirements
- Deadline to cut NPL ratio to 10%: end of December 2026
- Second Business Model Analysis of banks: 2027
FAQs
What is the total assets of Ghana’s banking sector in 2026?
Total banking sector assets stood at GH¢500.20 billion at the end of August 2026, according to Bank of Ghana Governor Dr Johnson Pandit Asiama.
What is Ghana’s NPL ratio now?
The industry’s non-performing loan ratio fell to 15.66% in August 2026, from 20.77% a year earlier. Banks must reduce it to 10% by end-December 2026.
How many banks in Ghana meet capital requirements?
All 23 banks operating in Ghana now meet regulatory capital requirements, compared with 13 banks that breached them in their 2022 audited accounts.
Ghana’s banking sector has grown its assets past GH¢500 billion, rebuilt capital across all 23 banks and cut its bad loan ratio sharply since the DDEP. The next test is whether banks can bring non-performing loans down to the 10% limit by the end of 2026, as the Bank of Ghana turns its attention to the long-term strength of their business models.
