Inflation & Prices
Zimbabwe’s Inflation Surges Following Local Currency Rout
- Prices rose an annual 34.8% this month, official data shows
- Local dollar has lost more than a third of its value this year
Street vendors and customers in the central business district of Harare.
Photographer: Cynthia R Matonhodze/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Inflation in Zimbabwe surged as a currency rout pushed up the prices of goods and services, adding to pressure on the central bank to act.
Consumer prices rose an annual rate of 34.8% in January from 26.5% in December, according to data released by the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency at an online briefing on Monday. Prices advanced 6.6% in the month compared with 4.7% in December. The major drivers of the inflation surge were food and services including housing and electricity, the statistics agency said.