The Eastern Region has emerged as the best-performing region in Ghana in the 2026 Regional Entrepreneurship Freedom (REF) Index, with a score of 6.82.

The report, developed by the Africa Centre for Entrepreneurship and Youth Empowerment (ACEYE), ranks all 16 regions based on conditions affecting entrepreneurship, including trade, taxation, regulation, access to finance, technology, property rights and corruption.

The Volta Region placed second with a score of 6.61, followed by the Greater Accra Region with 6.48 and the North East Region with 6.23.

ACEYE says the index is intended to provide an evidence-based assessment of Ghana’s entrepreneurial environment. The organisation describes the REF Index as “an evidence-based framework for assessing Ghana's entrepreneurial landscape.”

The report is based on responses from 3,200 entrepreneurs, with 200 selected from each of Ghana’s 16 regions.

The 2026 rankings

1. Eastern Region — 6.82

2. Volta Region — 6.61

3. Greater Accra Region — 6.48

4. North East Region — 6.23

5. Ahafo Region — 5.75

6. Upper West Region — 5.55

7. Bono East Region — 5.49

8. Western Region — 5.48

9. Oti Region — 5.43

10. Central Region — 5.40

11. Savannah Region — 5.35

12. Western North Region — 5.18

13. Bono Region — 5.03

14. Ashanti Region — 4.70

15. Upper East Region — 4.19

16. Northern Region — 2.79

The report places the first four regions; Eastern, Volta, Greater Accra and North East, in the Moderately Free category.

Nine regions; Ahafo, Upper West, Bono East, Western, Oti, Central, Savannah, Western North and Bono, are classified as Mostly Unfree.

Ashanti, Upper East and Northern are classified as Repressed.

Eastern Region retained the top position. Its overall score of 6.82 puts it in the Moderately Free category. Its strongest area was technological freedom, which scored 7.28 and was the only indicator in the region to reach the Mostly Free category.

Volta's second-place position was supported by strong scores in market freedom and information freedom. However, its financial freedom ranked 13th among the 14 indicators, while fiscal freedom ranked last.

Greater Accra ranked third. The region performed strongly in information and cultural freedom but ranked 13th in trade freedom and 14th in fiscal freedom.

North East placed fourth with a score of 6.23. Its cultural freedom ranked first among its indicators, while technological freedom ranked 14th and was classified as Repressed.

At the bottom of the table, Ashanti ranked 14th with 4.70. The report says 13 of its 14 indicators were in the Repressed category, with only cultural freedom performing above that category.

Upper East placed 15th with 4.19. ACEYE found that all 14 indicators in the region were in the Repressed category.

Northern Region ranked last with a score of 2.79. Cultural freedom was its only indicator outside the Repressed category, scoring 5.10 and classified as Mostly Unfree. All 13 remaining indicators were classified as Repressed.

The report also notes that most regions recorded higher scores than in previous editions, although it says there remains significant room for improvement across the country.

ACEYE has recommended a Regional Entrepreneurship Freedom Act, a “silence is consent” rule for delayed government processes, a single digital platform for business registration and a Ghana Invent and Patent Act, among other measures aimed at improving the business environment.