Inflation in Rwanda's urban areas rose to 19.5 per cent in October 2026, compared with the same month last year, according to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR)
The rate rose from 17.2 per cent recorded in September 2026, as food prices continued to rise.
Figures by NISR on Tuesday, November 10, show that prices increased by 3.3 per cent between September and October, compared with a monthly increase of 2.7 per cent in September.
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Food and non-alcoholic beverages were the biggest contributors to the monthly increase, with prices in this category rising by 7.8 per cent. The category also recorded an annual increase of 28.9 per cent.
Vegetables were particularly affected, with prices increasing by 56.4 per cent compared with October 2025 and 16.5 per cent in just one month.
The increase in food prices is reflected in the contribution of the category to overall inflation. Food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 2.8 percentage points of the 3.3 per cent monthly increase in the urban Consumer Price Index (CPI).
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Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels recorded an annual price increase of 14.2 per cent, while transport prices rose by 22.4 per cent over the same period.
However, transport prices edged down by 0.1 per cent between September and October. Prices in the housing category increased by 0.5 per cent during the month.
Prices in restaurants and hotels also continued to rise, increasing by 20.6 per cent annually and 2.7 per cent monthly.
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Other categories recorded more moderate increases. Clothing and footwear prices rose by 5.9 per cent annually, while education increased by 8.6 per cent. Health recorded the smallest annual increase among the main categories, at 1.2 per cent.
Rural inflation higher
The NISR report also shows that inflation was higher in rural areas, where the CPI increased by 31.3 per cent annually in October, compared with 22 per cent in September.
On a monthly basis, rural inflation stood at 8.6 per cent, up from 6.5 per cent in September.
At the national level, combining urban and rural areas, inflation increased by 26.5 per cent annually and 6.5 per cent monthly.
Food prices were also a major factor behind the increase in rural inflation. Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 43.5 per cent annually and 13.6 per cent monthly.
Vegetables recorded an even steeper increase, rising by 65.7 per cent compared with October last year and 18.5 per cent compared with September.
Local products record faster price increases
The report further shows that prices of locally produced goods increased faster than those of imported products.
The local goods index rose by 22.8 per cent annually and 4.3 per cent monthly, while imported goods increased by 9.5 per cent annually but declined by 0.1 per cent between September and October.
Fresh products recorded the steepest annual increase among the selected indices, rising by 39.9 per cent. Their prices also increased by 11.1 per cent in October alone.
Energy prices rose by 36.3 per cent annually, although the monthly increase was more moderate at 0.1 per cent.
Meanwhile, the underlying inflation rate, which excludes fresh products and energy to provide a picture of longer-term price movements, increased by 11.5 per cent annually and 0.8 per cent monthly.
The annual average inflation rate for urban areas between October 2025 and October 2026 stood at 12.5 per cent, while the annual average underlying inflation rate was 10.7 per cent.