The persistent increase in the cost of food has pushed inflation to 22.04 percent in March according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
This is the third successive month that Inflation in the country will rise after it fell for the first time in 11 months in December of 2022.
In March, headline inflation rose by 0.13 percentage points from the 21.91 percent it was in February 2023.
The NBS said; “In March 2023, the headline inflation rate rose to 22.04 percent compared to February 2023 head-line inflation rate which was 21.91 percent.”
On a year-on-year basis, March’s headline inflation rate is 6.13 percentage points higher than March 2022 15.92 percent inflation rate.
The country’s statistics body noted that food and non-alcoholic beverages were the single largest contributors to the increase in inflation.
It said; “The contributions of items on the divisional level to the increase in the headline index are food and non-alcoholic beverages.
(11.42 percent); housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuel (3.69 percent); clothing and footwear (1.69 percent); transport (1.43 percent).
Furnishings, household equipment and maintenance (1.11 percent); education (0.87 percent); health (0.66 percent); miscellaneous goods and services.
(0.37 percent); restaurant and hotels (0.27 percent); alcoholic beverage, tobacco and kola (0.24 percent); recreation and culture (0.15 percent) and communication (0.15 percent).”
According to the NBS, the inflation rate in cities and urban areas was 23.07 percent in March, while it was 21.09 percent in rural areas.
Food inflation rate rose to 24.45 percent in March from 24.35 percent in February.
