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.

This chart shows how much money you would need each month to buy the same food and non-alcoholic beverages that cost ₦100,000 in January 2025. The values are calculated using the month-on-month CPI for food, which tracks changes in prices over time.

Food prices have steadily increased in Nigeria this year. Based on the rebased Consumer Price Index (CPI) from the National Bureau of Statistics, the cost of the basket of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose about 13.9% between January and August 2025.

Using January as a baseline, this means that the amount of money that could buy a typical food basket in January increased by roughly 14% by August to purchase the same items, illustrating the erosion of household purchasing power due to inflation.

Source:

Intelpoint, National Bureau of Statistics

Period:

January-August 2025
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South Sudan tops Africa's food inflation list with 106%; two other East African nations in top 5
  • South Sudan and Zimbabwe have crossed 100% food inflation.
  • Three of the top five countries with the highest food inflation in Africa are in East Africa, showing a regional pattern of vulnerability.
  • Nigeria ranks 7th in Africa for food inflation at 21.3%, underlining persistent cost-of-living pressures despite being a major economy.
  • Liberia and Zambia round out the top 10 with double-digit food inflation.
  • Djibouti, Somalia, and Senegal are experiencing food price deflation, setting them apart from most African countries.
In January 2025, the food inflation rate dropped to 26.08% from 39.84% in December 2024
Key takeaways:
  • The inflation rate experienced a growth rate of 60.5% from May 2023 to December 2024.
  • The May 2024 food inflation rate grew by 15.84% points higher than May 2023 levels.
  • The most significant monthly increase occurred in February 2024, when food inflation rose by 2.51% from January 2024.
  • Brief periods of relief were observed in July, August, and December 2024, when the rates showed slight declines.
  • The food inflation rate dropped by 13.76% between December 2024 and January 2025 due to CPI rebasing to 2024 from 2009.
The inflation rate of all items, excluding farm produce and energy, reached 29.28% as of December 2024, a 9.45% increase from May 2023
Key takeaways:
  • February 2024 saw the largest month-on-month rise in inflation, climbing nearly 2% from 23.59% in January 2024.
  • Nigeria experienced brief periods of relief, with slight drops in core inflation during November 2023 and September 2024.
  • From May 2023 to December 2024, the inflation rate fluctuated within the 20% to 30% range.
  • December 2023 registered the highest inflation rate during the first eight months of the observed period.
  • The core inflation rate dropped to 22.59% in January 2025 from 29.28% in December 2024 due to the Consumer Price Index rebasing from 2009 to 2024.
The inflation rate in Nigeria rose from 22.41% in May 2023 to 34.80% by December 2024 and dropped to 24.48% in January 2025
Key takeaways:
  • Amidst the overall upward rise in inflation since May 2023, Nigeria experienced a brief relief with slight declines between June and September 2024.
  • The inflation rate in May 2024 was 11.54% points higher than that of June 2023.
  • The inflation rate in Nigeria increased by approximately 55% from May 2023 to December 2024.
  • In December 2024, the inflation rate increased by about 4.9% points when compared to January 2024.
  • Between December 2024 and January 2025, the inflation rate dropped by 10.32%.
  • The National Bureau of Statistics rebased the Consumer Price Index from 2009 to 2024 in January 2025.
Four African nations are in the top 10 globally for the highest inflation rates, averaging 39.23%
  • With 120% and 118% inflation rates, respectively, the two top nations are experiencing economic meltdowns, making essentials like food and housing almost unattainable.
  • With 57.5% inflation, Zimbabwe continues its battle against economic instability, making it the 4th highest in the world and the worst in Africa.
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Nigeria's inflation rate stood at 34.80%, making it the African nation with the third-highest inflation rate in 2024
  • With 57.50% inflation, Zimbabwe’s economy is experiencing an extreme price surge, making it the most inflation-affected country in Africa.
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  • 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.
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