Food and alcohol see biggest price jump in July

IN July food, alcohol and tobacco products faced the highest inflation.

Food and non-alcoholic beverages stand at an inflation of 6.1%, followed by alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 6% and hotels, cafés, and restaurants at 5.1%.

The annual inflation rate for the 12-month period ending July 2025 was 3.5%. This is a decrease from the 4.6% recorded during the same period last year.

This is according to the latest Consumer Price Index report by the Namibia Statistics Agency.

Statistician general Alex Shimuafeni says the inflation rate for July alone was 0.1%, a marginal rise from the 0.0% recorded in June.

“The current report revealed that the headline inflation rate rose 3.5%.

This is after rising 4.6% over the 12-month period ending July 2024, showing a notable moderation in the annual rate,” says Shimuafeni.

In terms of regional inflation, zone 1, which includes the Kavango East, Kavango West, Kunene, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa, and Zambezi regions, experienced the highest annual inflation rate at 3.9%.

This was followed by zone 3, comprising the //Kharas, Erongo, Hardap, and Omaheke regions, with a rate of 3.6%.
The lowest rate was observed in zone 2, which covers the Khomas region, at 3.1%.

An analysis of average retail prices for key consumer goods showed that consumers in zone 3 paid the most for a 5kg bag of maize meal, averaging N$79.19, while those in zone 2 paid the least at N$70.87.

Meanwhile, consumers in zone 2 paid the highest price for a 400g can of tinned pilchards in tomato sauce at N$37.58, compared to the low price of N$35.99 paid by consumers in zone 1.

The report notes that core inflation stood at 3.9%, slightly higher than the headline inflation rate.

The report defines core inflation as a measure that “excludes certain volatile elements from the overall inflation calculation, such as food and energy prices, which tend to experience significant price fluctuations.”

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