CAPMAS attributed the acceleration to rising vegetable prices, which recorded the sharpest increase at 5.1 percent. This was followed by fruit, up 3.8 percent, fish and seafood, up 1.8 percent, cereals and bread, up 1.5 percent, and oils and fats, up 1.2 percent.
Housing-related costs also increased. The housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel category rose by 5.4 percent, driven by a 2.6 percent rise in maintenance and repair, a 2.5 percent increase in electricity, gas, and other fuels, and a 1.5 percent uptick in water and miscellaneous services.
Healthcare costs rose by 1.3 percent, reflecting higher prices for hospital services, up 3.5 percent, and outpatient services, up 3.1 percent.
In contrast, food and beverage prices fell by 0.5 percent month-on-month, driven by a 6.4 percent decline in meat and poultry prices and a 0.3 percent drop in dairy, cheese, and eggs.
Transport costs increased by 0.3 percent, supported by transport services rising by 5.1 percent, vehicle prices increasing by 2.2 percent, and private transport rising by 0.6 percent.
Restaurant and hotel prices rose by 3.9 percent, while clothing and footwear increased by 2 percent.
On an annual basis, headline inflation eased to 13.4 percent in April, down from 13.5 percent in March and 13.9 percent in April 2025.
CAPMAS data showed that the housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuel category recorded the highest annual increase at 30 percent, driven by electricity, gas, and other fuels rising by 21.3 percent, water, housing maintenance, and repair increasing by 14.5 percent, and miscellaneous services rising by 4.1 percent.
Food and beverage prices rose by 6.9 percent year-on-year, driven by fish and seafood rising by 6.2 percent, cereals and bread by 2.5 percent, and meat and poultry by 1.5 percent, while fruit prices fell by 7.4 percent.
The transport and communications sector increased by 24.5 percent, supported by transport services rising by 25.9 percent, vehicle prices increasing by 10.9 percent, and private transport rising by 28.8 percent.
Healthcare costs rose by 10.1 percent, while clothing and footwear increased by 14.3 percent, and furniture, home equipment, and maintenance rose by 12 percent.
In light of escalating geopolitical tensions in the region, the Central Bank of Egypt decided to keep key policy interest rates unchanged last month, due to rising freight and insurance costs, which have added more inflationary pressures and stopped its decline.
The CBE warned that its inflation target of 7 percent (±2 percentage points) by Q4 2026 will be exposed to upside risks if the regional conflict persists, while the International Monetary Fund (IMF) pointed out that inflation remains volatile and continues to be a concern if not managed carefully, as food and energy prices are key contributors to economic instability.
Additionally, the higher inflation and currency pressures are driving demand for savings products, such as certificates of deposit (CDs), as they’re considered a safeguard and a low-risk investment instrument.
State-owned lenders National Bank of Egypt and Banque Misr raised yields on their three-year certificates to around 17.25 percent for monthly payouts. While the Commercial International Bank (CIB) launched a new CD with the same yield rate.
This comes in anticipation of decisions from the CBE’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC), which will convene for key interest rates on 21 May.
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