Ethiopia's Overall Inflation Rises to 15.3% in July as Sugar Prices Surge

The Ethiopian Statistics Service has reported that overall inflation rose to 15.3% in the month of Hamle, marking a noticeable increase compared to recent months. This represents a significant jump from 13.7% recorded during the same month last year. Food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation grew by 15.7%, heavily driven by a 39.4% surge in sugar prices alongside increases in meat (21.6%), edible oil (20.34%), fruits (19.2%), and dairy/eggs (18.9%). Non-food inflation reached 14.8%, with restaurants, hotels, and transport rising by 15.6%, while communication registered the lowest growth at 8.0%. Over the three-month period from Ginbot to Hamle, total inflation escalated by 1.9 percentage points from 13.4% to 15.3%.