The cost of goods and services continued to rise in May 2025, with urban prices increasing by 6.9 percent compared to the same period last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR). According to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI), the rise was mainly driven by price increases in food and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as restaurants and hotels. Prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 9.2 per cent year on year, driven by a 32.5 per cent rise in meat and a 7.7 per cent hike in milk cheese and eggs prices. Hotel and restaurant prices saw a 16.6 per cent rise in the same period, while education prices increased 8.3 per cent. On the other hand, prices of alcoholic beverages tobacco and narcotics grew 7.5 per cent year-on-year in May, with transport services surging by 3.7 per cent, reflecting persistent inflationary pressures in key consumer categories. ALSO READ: Hotel, restaurants drove consumer price increase in April The statistics body pointed out that urban CPI, the main headline index that gauges inflation, increased by 0.6 per cent on monthly basis, while the annual average inflation rate between May 2025 and May 2024 was 5.5 per cent. The underlying inflation, excluding fresh food and energy, climbed by 6 per cent year-on-year and 1.1 per cent month-on-month. Meanwhile, the overall national CPI increased by 7.7 per cent on an annual basis, while remaining stable compared to April. The rural CPI rose by 8.2 per cent year-on-year, but declined 0.4 per cent month-on-month, reflecting some easing in rural price pressures.
