Rwanda’s Inflation Rises to 13% in April as Transport, Health and Energy Costs Surge
Rwanda’s annual inflation rate rose sharply to 13 percent in April 2026, up from 9.2 percent recorded in March, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda on May 10.
The report indicates that rising prices in transport, health services, energy, housing and food were among the major drivers behind the increase in the cost of living.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages prices increased by 5.8 percent compared to April 2025, while recording a monthly rise of 4.3 percent.
Prices in the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels category increased by 21.3 percent on an annual basis and by 5.9 percent compared to March 2026.
The transport sector registered one of the steepest increases, with prices rising by 23.7 percent year-on-year and 15.1 percent on a monthly basis.
Health-related costs also recorded a significant rise, increasing by 70 percent annually, although monthly growth remained moderate at 0.3 percent.
According to the report, prices in restaurants and hotels increased by 18.5 percent compared to the same period last year, while alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics rose by 17.1 percent annually.
The statistics further show that locally produced goods became more expensive than imported products over the past year. Prices of local products increased by 13.6 percent annually and by 5.2 percent monthly, while imported products rose by 11.4 percent annually and 3.2 percent monthly.
Fresh products registered a 5.4 percent annual increase and a 5.1 percent monthly rise.
Energy prices recorded the highest increase among major categories, surging by 47.9 percent compared to April 2025 and by 18 percent compared to March 2026.
Meanwhile, the general index excluding fresh products and energy increased by 12.5 percent annually and by 3.2 percent on a monthly basis.
The Consumer Price Index is the main indicator used to measure inflation and changes in the cost of living in Rwanda.
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