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Rwanda's inflation rises to 17.2% in September 2026

1 min read

Tomatoes, carrots, bananas and avocados piled on a market stall in Kigali Economy
Tomatoes, carrots, bananas and avocados piled on a market stall in Kigali

Consumer prices rose 17.2% year on year, up from 15.7% in August, as food prices climbed 20.9%, transport 22.4% and energy 45%.

Rwanda's consumer price index rose 17.2% year on year in September 2026, up from 15.7% in August, according to the CPI release published by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) on 10 October.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 20.9% on the year and 5.3% on the month. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels increased 18.3%, transport 22.4% and restaurants and hotels 18.9%. Fresh products were 27.9% more expensive than a year earlier and energy 45% more expensive.

Local products rose 19.8% year on year, against 9.7% for imported products. The index excluding fresh products and energy, a measure of underlying inflation, increased 11.4% on the year and 1.3% on the month.

The National Bank of Rwanda raised its central bank rate to 8.75% in August, its third increase of 2026, and forecast that inflation would average 13.1% this year before returning to the 2–8% target range in the second half of 2027. The next CPI release, for October, is due in November.

For businesses, higher food, fuel and transport costs feed into wages and operating budgets. Price clauses in supply and rental contracts, and the timing of purchases in Rwandan francs, are worth reviewing while inflation stays above the target range.

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