Nigeria's inflation rate stood at 34.80%, making it the African nation with the third-highest inflation rate in 2024

Key takeaways:

  • With 57.50% inflation, Zimbabwe’s economy is experiencing an extreme price surge, making it the most inflation-affected country in Africa.
  • At 34.80%, Nigeria is battling one of its worst inflation crises in decades, severely impacting food prices, transportation, and living costs.
  • The fact that seven out of ten countries on this list have inflation rates that double or even quadruple the African average shows the depth of the inflation crisis.
  • While their inflation rates (between 16% and 24%), as seen in Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, and the Congo, are lower than the top three, they still exceed the sustainable threshold for economic stability.

Inflation remains a pressing economic challenge in Africa, with several nations experiencing skyrocketing price increases that significantly impact businesses, households, and overall economic stability. According to the latest data, Zimbabwe leads the continent with a 57.50% inflation rate, followed by Burundi (36.50%) and Nigeria (34.80%). This means that in these countries, the cost of goods and services is rising at an unsustainable pace, eroding purchasing power and making basic necessities increasingly unaffordable.
With an African average inflation rate of 8.46%, the fact that several nations have inflation rates three to six times higher highlights the severity of the economic pressures they face. For these countries, it means that food prices, transportation costs, and essential services are becoming harder to afford, placing millions at risk of financial hardship.

Source:

Trading Economics

Period:

2024
HTML code to embed chart
Want a bespoke report?
Reach out
Click to copy HTML embed code
Tags
Related Insights
Nigeria’s food inflation has risen every month since January 2026, climbing 8.07 percentage points to 16.96% in May
  • Nigeria’s year-on-year food inflation rose for the fourth consecutive month, from 8.89% in January 2026 to 16.96% in May.
  • The rate increased by 8.07 percentage points within the first five months of 2026.
  • May’s 16.96% rate means food prices were, on average, 16.96% higher than they were in May 2025.
  • Food inflation rose from 12.12% in February to 14.31% in March and 16.06% in April before reaching 16.96% in May.
  • Food inflation exceeded Nigeria’s 15.93% headline inflation rate in May, showing that food was a major source of renewed pressure on household expenses.
Among 44 African countries, Nigeria's 16.96% food inflation in May 2026 was lower only than that of Libya and Malawi
  • Nigeria recorded the third-highest food inflation rate among 44 African countries in May 2026.
  • At 16.96%, Nigeria’s rate was lower only than Libya and Malawi, both at 17.6%.
  • Nigeria’s food inflation was nearly 3.5 times the 4.88% average across the countries covered.
  • Eight of the ten countries with the highest food inflation recorded rates above 10%.
Every food item tracked has at least doubled in price since May 2023
  • Every comparable food item tracked is now at least twice as expensive as it was in May 2023.
  • Nearly half of the selected food items have more than tripled in price since the month before fuel subsidy removal.
  • Unripe plantain recorded the steepest increase, rising by 469% between May 2023 and April 2026.
  • Ripe plantain, yam tuber, and fresh tilapia also saw extreme increases of more than 300%.
  • Even the slowest-rising staples, including frozen chicken, beans, gari, and maize, still more than doubled in price.
Healthy diet costs rose fastest in Nigeria’s North-West over two years
  • Healthy diet costs rose 49% nationally in two years.
  • North-West states recorded the fastest increases.
  • All seven North-West states rose above the national average.
  • Katsina and Kogi recorded the steepest increases, at 98%.
  • Akwa Ibom had the lowest increase, at 5%.
One adult’s monthly healthy diet takes two-thirds of minimum wage
  • One adult’s healthy diet takes 66% of Nigeria’s minimum wage.
  • The national average monthly cost is about ₦46,230 per adult.
  • Ekiti has the highest burden, at 90% of minimum wage.
  • Six states require over 80% of minimum wage for one adult’s healthy diet.
  • Adamawa has the lowest burden, at 43%.
The basket of food that cost ₦100k in January 2025 cost approximately ₦114k in August
  • Food prices rose roughly 13.9% from January to August 2025, according to the rebased Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the National Bureau of Statistics.
  • Month-on-month inflation for food fluctuated, with some months seeing sharper increases than others.
  • Using January as a baseline, the purchasing power of money for food declined steadily, meaning households need more naira to buy the same items.
  • Food carries a large weight in the CPI basket, making it a major driver of overall inflation and cost-of-living increases.
POPULAR TOPICS
SIGN UP TO OUR NEWSLETTER
Get periodic updates about the African startup space, access to our reports, among others.
Subscribe Here
Subscription Form
A product of Techpoint Africa. All rights reserved