At the Kimironko market in Kigali (File Photo by Martin Kharumwa/RCSF)
Kigali – The latest figures from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) show that vegetable prices have dropped sharply over the past year, helping to ease overall food inflation across the country.
According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for September 2025, vegetable prices in urban areas fell by 6.3 percent compared to the same month last year, while rural areas saw a smaller decline of 2 percent. Nationally, the average price of vegetables was 3 percent lower than a year ago.
The report shows that vegetables remain one of the few food items whose prices went down, even as costs for other products like meat, milk, and beverages continued to rise.
The fall is largely linked to seasonal abundance, as recent harvests improved supply in markets across the country.
Despite the year-on-year decline, vegetable prices rose slightly—by around 2.2 to 2.5 percent—between August and September 2025, suggesting a mild recovery in prices as the dry season begins.
Vegetables make up a large part of household spending, especially for low-income families, accounting for about 18 percent of Rwanda’s consumer price basket.
The drop therefore helped slow down overall food inflation, which stood at 4.2 percent in September 2025, well below the general national inflation rate of 6.2 percent.
This easing of food prices is a welcome relief for many households still adjusting to higher costs of transport, education, and health services.
