Egypt annual inflation slows to 14.9% as monthly price growth decelerates

Egypt’s urban consumer inflation slowed to 14.9% in April from 15.2% in March, according to data from the state statistics agency CAPMAS.

Monthly urban consumer prices rose 1.1% in April, down from 3.2% in March. Reuters said analysts had expected the annual rate to rise to 15.9%, so the reading came in below forecasts.

Food and beverage prices remained a major factor in the basket, rising 6.7% year on year even as they fell 0.7% month on month. The data suggests disinflation is continuing, but at a slower pace than in some earlier periods and with food costs still a pressure point.

The report matters because it comes ahead of the Central Bank of Egypt’s next policy meeting and will shape expectations for whether officials can continue easing or will want to stay cautious.

A separate report from Ahram Online cited a different CAPMAS measure for nationwide inflation, which is not the same as the urban consumer inflation series used in Reuters’ report. The key market takeaway, though, is that the main urban CPI reading softened more than expected in April.