Ethiopia's August CPI Growth Rate at 13.6% Year-on-Year

【August CPI Growth Rate 13.6%】 Ethiopia's Statistical Service (ESS) announced on September 6, 2025, that the August Consumer Price Index (CPI) growth rate was 13.6% year-on-year. The continuation of high inflation was confirmed. 【Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Sector】 Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 12.7%, with non-alcoholic beverages including coffee, a major export product, recording the highest growth rate at 56.0%. Among daily necessities, oils and fats (23.1%) and other foods (22.8%) showed increases in the 20% range. Vegetables (19.3%), fruits (16.6%), and sugar/jam/honey/chocolate (15.1%) were in the high teens. Dairy products/cheese/eggs (12.7%) and meat (12.1%) showed low teen increases. However, bread and cereals declined 1.9%. 【Non-Food Sector】 Non-food items rose 15.1%, with transportation (48.2%) showing exceptionally high growth. Other goods and services (21.8%) were in the 20% range, while clothing/footwear (17.5%) and restaurants/hotels (16.6%) were in the high teens. Furniture/household goods (13.7%), alcoholic beverages/tobacco (13.6%), housing/water/electricity/gas/other fuels (11.4%), and education (11.3%) showed low teen increases. Communication (8.5%) remained in single digits, while health declined 0.4%. 【Currency Depreciation Progress】 According to the National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE), foreign exchange rates progressed from 1 USD = 138.12 birr on August 1 to 1 USD = 142.15 birr as of September 5, with birr depreciation continuing in the low 140s range.