Egypt’s annual consumer price (headline) inflation recorded 7.3% in October 2021, up from 4.6% in October 2020, and down from September 2021’s 8%, reports Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS).

Annual urban consumer price inflation fell to 6.3% in October, compared to 6.6% in September, up from 5.7% in August which marked a 17-month high by hitting its highest rate since November 2020.

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Inflation recorded 118 points on a monthly basis in October 2021, an increase of 1.7%, compared to 116.1 points during September, writes CAPMAS.

In a separate statement, the Central Bank of Egypt stated that “Monthly core CPI inflation…recorded 2.1 percent in October 2021 compared to 1.7 percent [in September 2021]… annual core inflation rate recorded 5.2 percent in October 2021”

CAPMAS stated that the latest numbers were influenced by an increase in the prices of the meat and poultry group by 6.6%, the dairy, cheese and eggs group by 3.3%, the fish and seafood group by 1.9%, the cereal and bread group by 1.4%, the calculated rent group for housing by 0.4%.

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There were also increases in prices of private transportation by 1.8%, newspapers - books and stationery by 13.1%, pre-primary and basic education by 19.5%, higher education by 16.7%, general and technical secondary school by 5.3%, and ready-made meals by 0.6%.

However, it also noted decreases in in the prices of the fruit group by 6.4% and the vegetables group by 4.8%.