Local Product Prices Rise 15.8% as Rwanda Inflation Hits 14.5%
Rwanda’s inflation rose to 14.5% year-on-year in July 2026, driven by sharp increases in energy, transport, housing and food prices, NISR data shows.
Rwanda’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), the main measure of inflation, increased by 14.5 per cent year-on-year in July 2026, compared with the same month in 2025, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR).
The CPI report published on Monday, on August 10, showed that increase was reflected in higher prices across several categories, including housing, transport and energy.
Prices for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels increased by 21 per cent year-on-year in July, while rising by 0.3 per cent compared with the previous month.
The transport category recorded a 24.2 per cent annual increase and a 1.3 per cent increase on a monthly basis.
Meanwhile, prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 13.1 per cent compared with July 2025 and increased by 1.5 per cent compared with June.
Prices for restaurants and hotels increased by 14.2 per cent year-on-year and by 0.6 per cent month-on-month.
The category covering alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics increased by 9.8 per cent annually and 0.6 per cent monthly.
Energy prices post highest annual increase
The data show that energy recorded the largest annual increase among the categories highlighted in the CPI report, with prices rising by 44.5 per cent year-on-year in July.
On a monthly basis, energy prices increased by 1.5 per cent.
Prices of fresh products increased by 16 per cent annually and by 1.6 per cent compared with the previous month.
The transport category recorded a 24.2 per cent annual increase and a 1.3 per cent increase on a monthly basis. Photo by Kellya Keza
Excluding fresh products and energy, the general index increased by 11.4 per cent year-on-year and by 0.6 per cent month-on-month.
Local products record higher annual increase
The NISR data also show that prices of local products increased by 15.8 per cent year-on-year in July and by 0.7 per cent compared with June.
Prices of imported products, meanwhile, increased by 10.7 per cent annually and by 1.6 per cent on a monthly basis.
