File Photo: An Egyptian woman looks at goods at a supermarket in Cairo. AFP
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) stood at 263.8 points in November, a slight easing from October and providing some relief for households, as lower food prices outweighed increases in housing, transport, fuels, and other goods and services.
The decline was driven by a 15.8 percent fall in vegetable prices, while grains and bread dropped by 0.2 percent. Meat and poultry prices fell by 1.5 percent, fish and seafood by 0.8 percent, and dairy products, cheese, and eggs by 1.2 percent.
These decreases offset moderate increases in other consumer goods and services, including oils and fats, coffee, tea, cocoa, bottled and carbonated water, tobacco, clothing, footwear, cleaning and maintenance of clothing, and personal items.
Despite the overall easing, several sectors experienced price rises in November. Housing and utilities recorded a 2.5 percent increase, reflecting higher costs for actual rent, imputed rent, maintenance, water, electricity, and fuel.
Transport costs rose by 7.1 percent, driven by higher private transport spending, vehicle purchases, and public transport services.
Furnishings, household equipment, and maintenance increased by 1.1 percent, while healthcare services rose by 0.6 percent due to increases in outpatient and hospital services.
Prices for ready-made meals and hotel services also climbed by 1.3 percent.
On an annual basis, headline inflation for November 2025 reached 10 percent, slightly lower than October’s 10.1 percent.
The slight decline reflects the balancing effect of falling food prices against continued upward pressures from housing, utilities, transport, and healthcare costs.
Compared to November 2024, the largest price increases were in housing, water, electricity, gas, and fuels (up 21.7 percent), transport (21.5 percent), and restaurant and hotel services (12.9 percent).
Healthcare costs rose 27.8 percent, and clothing and footwear prices increased 14.2 percent. Meanwhile, food and beverage prices were relatively stable, with vegetables and meat falling, though fruit, grains, sugar, and other food products rose.
The monthly easing in inflation led by food prices provides temporary relief for consumers, though persistent increases in other essential sectors continue to exert pressure on household budgets.
Economists and policymakers may need to monitor these trends closely to ensure sustained price stability in the months ahead.
In November, the Central Bank of Egypt (CBE) projected headline inflation to rise modestly toward the end of the fourth quarter of 2025 as energy price adjustments take effect, before gradually easing in the second half of 2026.
However, the CBE asserted that this outlook remains sensitive to global and local risks, including geopolitical tensions, persistent services inflation, and a stronger-than-expected pass-through from administered price changes.
According to its latest projections released in October, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) expected Egypt’s inflation rate to fall sharply to 11.8 percent in the current FY2025/2026, which ends on 30 June 2026, from an average of 20.4 percent in FY2024/2025.
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