From The Rio Times · Samuel Ncube · · 1m 10s
Malawi Inflation Drops to 19.4% in September
Malawi's inflation falls below 20% for first time since May 2022, but non-food prices remain high.
In brief
Malawi's inflation falls below 20% for first time since May 2022, but non-food prices remain high. Malawi's September inflation dropped to 19.4% from 20.0% in August, but non-food inflation stays at 31.5%. Originally reported by The Rio Times.
Quick answers
- What's Next for Malawi?
- It is unclear whether non-food inflation will fall materially or whether the 15% target is reachable by year-end.
- What is the key takeaway from Malawi Inflation Drops to 19.4% in September?
- Malawi's September inflation dropped to 19.4% from 20.0% in August, but non-food inflation stays at 31.5%.
Inflation Drops Below 20%
Malawi's year-on-year headline inflation fell to 19.4% in September 2026, the first reading below 20% since May 2022.
Food Inflation Eases
Food inflation eased to 12.5% from 13.4% in August, while non-food inflation stayed at 31.5%.
Budget Target Lags
The September rate is 4.4 percentage points above the 15% year-end inflation projection in the 2026/27 national budget.
Reserve Bank Projects 22% Inflation
The Reserve Bank of Malawi projects average inflation of 22% in 2026, down from 28.4% in 2025 and 32.2% in 2024.
IMF Forecasts 25% Inflation by 2027
The IMF projects 21.9% inflation in 2026 and 25.0% in 2027, a rebound covered in Malawi Inflation Set to Rebound to 25%.
Economists Warn of Supply Risks
Economists say fuel, transport and imported-input costs could push food prices up again.
What's Next for Malawi?
It is unclear whether non-food inflation will fall materially or whether the 15% target is reachable by year-end.
The essence
Malawi's September inflation dropped to 19.4% from 20.0% in August, but non-food inflation stays at 31.5%.
