Egypt’s annual urban inflation eases to 14.6% in May

CAIRO - 10 June 2026: Egypt’s annual urban inflation continued to slow in May, declining to 14.6 percent from 14.9 percent in April, marking the second consecutive monthly easing, according to data released Wednesday by the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

On a monthly basis, however, urban inflation picked up to 1.6 percent in May, compared with 1.1 percent in April.

For the entire country, annual inflation also eased to 13 percent in May, down from 13.4 percent a month earlier, while monthly inflation increased by 1.4 percent.

The monthly rise was mainly driven by higher prices across several food categories. Cereal and bread prices increased by 0.3 percent, meat and poultry rose by 3.5 percent, fish and seafood climbed by 1.3 percent, and oils and fats were up by 0.5 percent.

Fruit prices recorded the sharpest increase, jumping by 12.7 percent, while vegetable prices rose by 1.7 percent. Sugar and confectionery prices edged up by 0.1 percent, while mineral water, soft drinks, and natural juices increased by 1.2 percent.

Price increases were also recorded in tobacco, which rose by 0.2 percent, fabrics by 1.7 percent, and ready-made garments by 1.7 percent. Housing maintenance and repair costs increased by 0.8 percent, while electricity, gas, and other fuels rose by 1 percent.

Service prices also moved higher during the month, with outpatient services increasing by 0.7 percent, while telephone and fax services surged by 10.4 percent.

Meanwhile, some categories declined in May, led by hotel services, which fell by 0.2 percent. Transport services also dropped by the same rate.