Maize, rice push Uganda’s October inflation to 10.7%

Uganda’s inflation for the month of October has increased by 10.7%, up from 10 percent registered for September 2022, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) has said.

According to the statistics released by UBOS on Monday, the major drivers were food crops such as maize flour, whose inflation increased to 91.5 percent in October 2022 compared to 60.2 percent in September 2022 and rice, who inflation increased to 43.3 percent in October 2022 compared to 32.2 percent in September 2022.

Specifically, Matooke (bunch) Inflation increased to 75.4 percent in October 2022, compared to 59.8 percent in September 2022.

According to UBOS, the increase in prices of commodities under Core Inflation that increased to 8.9 percent in the year ending October 2022, compared to 8.1 percent registered in the year ended September 2022.

 However, Annual Services Inflation registered 4.4 percent in the year ending October 2022, compared to 4.5 percent registered in the year ended September 2022.

In addition, the increase in Annual Food Crops and Related Items Inflation was mainly due to Annual ‘Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses’ Inflation that increased to 33.8 percent for the 12 months to October 2022, compared to 30.3 percent registered in September 2022.

However, the Annual Energy Fuel and Utilities (EFU) Inflation registered at 15.2 percent for the 12 months to October 2022, compared to 18.7 percent registered in the year ended September 2022.

“This was mainly due to Annual Liquid Energy Fuels Inflation that registered 42.1 percent in the year ending October 2022 compared to 50.6 percent registered in the year ended September 2022,” UBOS said.

Specifically, Annual Petrol inflation registered 45.6 percent in October 2022, compared to 55.3 percent in September 2022. In addition, Diesel Inflation registered 52.1 percent in October 2022, compared to 63.0 percent registered in September 2022.