2026.04.0906:38:58UTC+00Egypt Inflation at 10-Month High on Fuel Price Hikes

Egypt’s annual urban inflation rate accelerated to 15.2% in March 2026 from 13.4% in February, overshooting market expectations of 12%. This was the highest reading since May 2025, driven largely by a sharp rise in oil prices. In early March, the government increased fuel prices by about 14% to 17% across a broad range of petroleum products, marking the first fuel price hike of the year.

Inflation picked up across several key categories, including transport (39.4% vs 27.5% in February), food (5.8% vs 4.6%), housing and utilities (35.3% vs 31.7%), clothing and footwear (14.4% vs 14.2%), miscellaneous goods and services (11.6% vs 10.9%), restaurants and hotels (12.8% vs 11.9%), furnishings and household equipment (11.1% vs 10.8%), and alcoholic beverages, tobacco, and narcotics (16.9% vs 15.7%).

By contrast, price growth eased slightly in health (17.0% vs 17.8%) and in recreation and culture (15.0% vs 15.1%), while inflation in communications remained unchanged at 0.4%.

On a monthly basis, the consumer price index rose 3.2% in March, following a 2.8% increase in February, representing the fastest monthly gain since February 2023.