CHAMWE KAIRA
The country’s annual inflation rate increased to 4.4% in June 2026, up from 3.7% recorded during the same month last year, according to the latest Namibia Consumer Price Index (NCPI) released by the Namibia Statistics Agency (NSA).
On a monthly basis, inflation slowed to 0.3% in June from 1.2% recorded in May 2026, while core inflation, which excludes more volatile price movements, stood at 3.3%.
The NSA said services recorded an annual inflation rate of 4.6%, slightly higher than the 4.2% recorded for goods. The average annual inflation rate for the period from June 2025 to June 2026 was estimated at 3.3%, while the average inflation rate for the 2026/27 fiscal year’s first quarter (April to June 2026) stood at 3.9%.
Transport remained the largest contributor to annual inflation, accounting for 1.9 percentage points of the overall 4.4% inflation rate, up from 1.7 percentage points in May.
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels contributed 1.1 percentage points, while food and non-alcoholic beverages added 0.5 percentage points.
Other contributors included alcoholic beverages and tobacco (0.2 percentage points), recreation and culture (0.2), health (0.1), education (0.1), hotels, cafés and restaurants (0.1), furnishings and household equipment (0.1), and miscellaneous goods and services (0.1).
Clothing and footwear, as well as communications, recorded no contribution to annual inflation.
Regionally, the Khomas Region, classified as Zone 2, recorded the highest annual inflation rate at 5.8%. Zone 3, comprising the //Kharas, Erongo, Hardap and Omaheke regions, recorded annual inflation of 4.0%, while Zone 1, covering Kavango East, Kavango West, Kunene, Ohangwena, Omusati, Oshana, Oshikoto, Otjozondjupa and Zambezi regions, recorded the lowest annual inflation rate at 3.3%.
The agency’s analysis of selected retail prices showed that consumers in Zone 3 paid the highest average price for 100g Rooibos tea bags at N$34.71, while consumers in Zone 1 paid the lowest at N$32.87.
For petrol, Zone 1 recorded the highest average price at N$24.16 per litre, followed by Zone 3 at N$24.09, while motorists in Zone 2 paid the lowest average price of N$23.97 per litre.
NSA statistician-general and chief executive officer Alex Shimuafeni thanked stakeholders for their contribution to the production of the inflation bulletin and encouraged users to provide feedback to improve future statistical publications.
