Rwanda’s annual inflation rate rose to 17.2 per cent in September 2026, up from 15.7 per cent in August, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR).
The increase means inflation accelerated by 1.5 percentage points in one month, reflecting rising prices across several major spending categories.
Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices rose by 20.9 per cent compared with September 2025. On a monthly basis, prices in this category increased by 5.3 per cent.
Transport costs rose by 22.4 per cent year-on-year, while prices for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels increased by 18.3 per cent.
Prices in restaurants and hotels also continued to climb, rising by 18.9 per cent compared with the same month last year and by 2.8 per cent compared with August 2026.
Energy-related products recorded an annual price increase of 45 per cent, although prices in this category edged up by just 0.2 per cent over the month.
Fresh products, including perishable foods, became 27.9 per cent more expensive than in September 2025. Their prices rose by 7.7 per cent between August and September this year.
Prices of locally produced goods increased by 19.8 per cent year-on-year and by 3.4 per cent month-on-month, NISR reported.
The statistics agency attributed much of the monthly inflation increase to food and non-alcoholic beverages, whose prices rose by 5.3 per cent in September.
Meanwhile, prices excluding food and energy rose by 11.4 per cent compared with September last year.
Imported goods recorded a more modest annual price increase of 9.7 per cent, with prices rising by 0.5 per cent over the month.
The figures show that prices of locally produced goods rose considerably faster than those of imported products during the year to September 2026.
