Job creation and the rising cost of living have emerged as the two biggest priorities for respondents ahead of the 2027 budget, with 74.2 per cent identifying either issue as their single most important concern.

A survey by the Centre for Economic Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA) found that 39.9 per cent of respondents prioritised job creation, particularly for young people, while 34.3 per cent identified reducing the cost of living as their foremost expectation from the government.

The findings come ahead of the presentation of the 2027 Budget Statement and Economic Policy by Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson in Parliament on Thursday, 12 November.

The study, conducted between 30 October and 10 November, 2026, involved 318 respondents who assessed the state of the economy, their household finances and the measures they expect the government to introduce in the next budget.

According to CERPA, the two issues also dominated respondents’ top-three priorities, with employment and job creation and the cost of living each selected by 64.8 per cent of participants.

Infrastructure, roads and transport followed at 23.9 per cent, healthcare at 23.6 per cent and education at 21.1 per cent.

The survey further revealed that although more respondents reported an improvement in their household finances over the past 12 months, the gains had largely been marginal.

While 43.4 per cent said their household finances had improved, 22.3 per cent reported a deterioration, with only 7.2 per cent indicating a significant improvement.

Business owners and self-employed respondents appeared to be under the greatest financial pressure.

They were the only occupational group in which more respondents reported worsening finances than improvement, with 44.2 per cent indicating a deterioration compared with 38.5 per cent who reported an improvement.

The group was also the most negative about the state of the economy, with 51.9 per cent rating it as poor or very poor, compared with 24.8 per cent across all respondents.

CERPA said the findings had implications for the government’s job creation agenda, particularly because small businesses and local enterprises are among the channels through which respondents expect employment opportunities to be generated.

On specific policy measures expected in the 2027 budget, 32.5 per cent of substantive responses called for job creation and youth employment.

Respondents also linked employment generation to support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), affordable credit, start-up capital, industrialisation and local production.

Support for businesses and access to credit accounted for 13.4 per cent of policy suggestions, while industrialisation and local production represented 9.1 per cent.

The survey also highlighted concerns about transparency and accountability in public spending.

Among respondents who provided additional comments, 22.1 per cent called for greater transparency, accountability, action against corruption and waste, and improved public access to budget information.

Another 7.6 per cent raised concerns about fiscal discipline and the quality of government spending.

CERPA noted that respondents held differing views on taxation, with some calling for reductions in taxes, levies and Value Added Tax (VAT), while others advocated broadening the tax base to include the informal sector.

However, it said both groups shared concerns about the management and utilisation of public funds.

The study found that macroeconomic indicators such as public debt management and domestic revenue mobilisation featured relatively low among respondents’ immediate priorities.

Only 2.8 per cent identified public debt among their top three concerns, while 4.1 per cent selected domestic revenue mobilisation.

CERPA said the findings suggested that respondents valued macroeconomic stability primarily for its impact on employment, prices, incomes and public services.

It therefore recommended that the 2027 Budget prioritise job creation through enterprise development and local production, ease the cost of essential goods and services, and link macroeconomic targets to measurable household outcomes.

The think tank also called for improved tax efficiency and fairness, alongside stronger transparency, accountability and regular public reporting on government expenditure and programme delivery.

One respondent captured the expectations surrounding the budget by calling for “Jobs that actually pay – not GDP on paper.”

CERPA cautioned that the survey, which used a convenience sampling approach, was not representative of the entire Ghanaian population.

Of the 318 respondents, 275, representing 86.5 per cent, were based in Greater Accra, while the remaining 43 were drawn from ten other regions. The sample was also concentrated among people aged 18 to 34, who accounted for 64.2 per cent of participants.