In Malawi, an urban household of six people had to spend 1,149,868 kwacha on essential needs in September 2026, compared with 1,114,748 kwacha in August, according to an analysis by the Employers' Consultative Association of Malawi published on Monday 20 October. The monthly budget thus rose by 3.18%.
The employers' organisation attributes most of this increase to higher transport costs during the fuel shortage. Excluding transport, the basket rose by 1.58% to 989,868 kwacha, a pace twice as slow as that of the total cost.
Food spending rose from 656,109 to 666,499 kwacha over one month, while non-food needs increased from 318,369 to 323,369 kwacha. The average price of a 50-kilogram bag of maize remained stable at 55,000 kwacha, according to data cited in the report.
This surge in household budgets comes as annual inflation slowed from 20% in August to 19.4% in September, its first time below 20% since May 2022. The slowdown in the rate means the overall rise in prices is easing, without bringing down the level of essential spending.
George Khakhi, chief executive of the ECAM, believes the increase further erodes household disposable income and may weigh on domestic demand as well as on business productivity.