Africa's food inflation crisis is hitting alarming highs, with South Sudan and Zimbabwe recording extreme year-on-year food inflation rates of 106% and 103% respectively. These numbers reflect a dramatic spike in the cost of daily meals, as the majority of households already spend a large portion of their income on food.
Three of the five countries with the highest food inflation are from East Africa—South Sudan, Burundi, and Malawi—highlighting the region’s exposure to compounding challenges. In contrast, countries like Djibouti, Somalia, and Senegal are experiencing deflation in food prices, signalling either effective policy responses or very different economic dynamics.
