Commodity prices continue to drain in the pockets of Rwandans. The Rwandan National Bureau of Statistics (NISR) reported in the monthly publication of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of July 2023.
At 11.9 per cent, the overall headline year-on-year inflation rate as measured by the CPI index dropped steadily from the 13.7 percent recorded in June.
According to NISR, urban CPI increased by 11.9 percent in July 2023 compared to the same month of 2022. ‘Food and non-alcoholic beverages’ increased by 22.8 percent, ‘Alcoholic beverages tobacco and narcotics’ increased by 14.3 percent while Transport increased by 5.8 percent.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages experienced a 23.9 percent increase in July, a decrease from June’s 26.2 percent. Prices for bread and cereals surged by 11.3 percent, meat by 13.1 percent, milk, cheese, and eggs by 20.7 percent, and vegetables by 43 percent.
The prices of “fresh products” increased by 27.4 percent on annual change and decreased by 1.4 percent on a monthly basis.
The prices of “energy” increased by 3.8 percent on an annual change and decreased by 2.2 percent on a monthly basis.
The prices of the “general Index excluding fresh products and energy” increased by 8.5 percent on annual change and increased by 0.7 percent on a monthly basis.
The data from NISR also showS the “local products” increased by 13 percent on annual change and decreased by 0.4 percent on monthly basis, while prices of the “imported products” increased by 8.4 percent on annual basis and increased by 1.4 percent on monthly basis.