In 2024, some African countries are still coping with the ongoing effects of high inflation. This economic situation, defined by an ongoing increase in the general price level of goods and services, has major ramifications for any country that experiences it. In addition to this issue, inflation has the greatest impact on food.
Food inflation, defined as a sudden increase in the price of food goods, presents significant challenges for any country. High food inflation can have particularly devastating consequences in African countries where food accounts for a significant portion of family budgets.
Rising food prices raise the danger of starvation and malnutrition. The situation is particularly terrible for vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly, and people living in rural areas.
Furthermore, when food prices skyrocket, societal instability often follows. Food inflation has frequently prompted protests, strikes, and even riots.
The World Bank’s Food Security Update, latest updated on July 1, 2024, shows that some African countries continue to endure excessive food inflation.
“Domestic food price inflation remains high in many low- and middle-income countries. Inflation higher than 5% is experienced in 59.1% of low-income countries (no change since the last update on May 30, 2024), 63% of lower-middle-income countries (no change), 36% of upper-middle-income countries (5.0 percentage points higher), and 10.9 percent of high-income countries (3.6 percentage points lower),” the World Bank states.
With that said, these are the ten African countries with the highest food inflation midway through 2024. Except for Nigeria, the most of the countries on the list have seen significant improvements in their rates since January.
The list also includes May inflation numbers, the most recent update on food inflation figures from the World Bank’s Food Security Report.
| Rank | Country | Food inflation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Malawi | 40.7 |
| 2. | Nigeria | 40.7 |
| 3. | Sierra Leone | 32.4 |
| 4. | Egypt | 31.0 |
| 5. | Ethiopia | 25.5 |
| 6. | Ghana | 22.6 |
| 7. | Angola | 18.5 |
| 8. | Zambia | 16.2 |
| 9. | Tunisia | 9.6 |
| 10. | Cote d`Ivoire | 8.6 |
