Consumer prices in Rwanda rose 17.2% year on year in September 2026, after 15.7% in August, according to data published on Saturday, 10 October, by the National Institute of Statistics.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages, which weigh directly on household budgets, rose 20.9% year on year. Transport increased 22.4%, while housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 18.3%.
The increase is not limited to a year-on-year comparison. The headline index rose 2.7% between August and September, with a monthly rise of 5.3% for food. Restaurants and hotels increased 2.8% over one month and 18.9% over one year.
Fresh produce saw the strongest pressure among the main food components, with a 27.9% rise year on year and 7.7% month on month. Energy prices jumped 45% compared with September 2025, but rose only 0.2% since August.
Underlying inflation, calculated by the institute by excluding fresh produce and energy, stood at 11.4% year on year. This indicator shows that price increases remain widespread beyond the most volatile items.
Locally produced goods rose 19.8% year on year, compared with 9.7% for imported goods. Rwanda's annual inflation had already accelerated from 14.5% in July to 15.7% in August, before the further increase in September.