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Indicators · Macro stability

Consumer price inflation

Yearly change in the prices of a typical basket of household goods and services.

Why it matters

High inflation erodes returns in local currency, raises borrowing costs and usually comes with currency weakness. Stable single-digit inflation makes pricing and planning possible.

Read with care

Where currencies have been redenominated or official and parallel exchange rates differ, official inflation can understate real price pressure.

Source

World Bank

% a year. 52 African countries, 1990 to 2025.

Inflation: highest in Zimbabwe, lowest in Seychelles

Consumer price inflation, % a year. Latest year available, mostly 2025. 16 of 16 countries have data.

2.9%
3.3%
4.3%
14%
No data
Loading map…
Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: inflationiWhy it mattersHigh inflation erodes returns in local currency, raises borrowing costs and usually comes with currency weakness. Stable single-digit inflation makes pricing and planning possible.

Click a country to highlight it.

0%10%20%30%40%Zimbabwe104.7% (2022)Malawi28.4%Angola20.2%Zambia13.9%Madagascar8.1%Mozambique4.4%Lesotho4.3%Mauritius3.7%Namibia3.5%Tanzania3.3%Comoros3.2%South Africa3.2%DRC2.9% (2016)Botswana2.7%Eswatini2.6% (2019)Seychelles0.3%Axis cut: longest bar not to scalemedian 3.6%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 3.6%Log scaleLowest: Seychelles 0.3%Highest: Zimbabwe 104.7%

Over time

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Consumer price inflation against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%100.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)InflationDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMadagascarMalawiZambiaZimbabwe
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Zimbabwe104.7%2022up 103.8 points since 2017B
2Malawi28.4%2025up 19.7 points since 2020A
3Angola20.2%2025down 2.1 points since 2020A
4Zambia13.9%2025down 1.8 point since 2020A
5Madagascar8.1%2025up 3.9 points since 2020A
6Mozambique4.4%2025up 0.9 points since 2020A
7Lesotho4.3%2025down 0.7 points since 2020A
8Mauritius3.7%2025up 1.1 point since 2020A
9Namibia3.5%2025up 1.3 point since 2020A
10Tanzania3.3%2025little changed since 2020A
11Comoros3.2%2025up 2.5 points since 2020A
12South Africa3.2%2025little changed since 2020A
13DRC2.9%2016down 12.4 points since 2011B
14Botswana2.7%2025up 0.8 points since 2020A
15Eswatini2.6%2019down 3.1 points since 2014B
16Seychelles0.3%2025down 0.9 points since 2020A