Inflation rate moved to 29.1 percent in October from 28.7 percent in September 2025, driven by persisting pressure of non-food prices.
According to National Statistical Office stats flash, food inflation eased to 32.4 percent, from 33 percent in September 2025, while non-food inflation rose to23.8 percent from 21.7 percent over the same period.
Reads the report in part: “During the same period, food prices rose by 1.7 percent, while non-food inflation reached three percent.
“In urban areas, the month-to-month inflation rate was 1.9 percent with food and non-food inflation at 1.3 percent and 2.7 percent, respectively. The rural month-to-month inflation rate was 2.4 percent. Rural food and non-food inflation rates stood at 1.9 percent and 3.2 percent, respectively.”
This means that prices of food products are rising at a slower pace compared to non-food products like transportation.
The drop in food inflation comes when maize prices have stabilised, halting three months price increases which started in June.
According to the September 2025 International Food Policy Research Institute (Ifpri) Maize Market Report, maize prices stabilised at K1 361 per kilogramme (kg) in the last week of the month, partly attributable to the stabilisation of the kwacha.
Recently, Reserve Bank of Malawi deputy governor responsible for economic planning Kisu Simwaka ex pres sed wor r y over consistently high inflation, saying “inflation has remained stubbornly high, above 20 percent over the last three years driven by both supply and demand factors”.
RBM projects inflation to average 28.9 percent in 2025 from 32.2 percent in 2024.
