Tanzania’s annual headline inflation rate increased to 4.0% in April 2026 from 3.2% recorded in March 2026, according to data released on May 8, 2026, by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
The overall National Consumer Price Index (NCPI), which tracks price changes across a fixed basket of 383 goods and services collected from households in all 26 regions of mainland Tanzania, rose from 119.78 in April 2025 to 124.61 in April 2026, reflecting a faster pace of price increases across the economy compared to previous months.
The annual Headline Inflation Rate fluctuated between 3.2% and 4.0% during the 12-month period from April 2025 to April 2026, with NBS reporting moderate upward inflationary pressure toward the end of the period.
On a monthly basis, the NCPI increased from 123.04 in March 2026 to 124.61 in April 2026, representing a monthly increase of 1.3%.
Table of Contents
- Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
- Non-Food Inflation
- Transport
- Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels
- Clothing and Footwear
- Restaurants and Accommodation Services
- Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance
- Personal Care, Social Protection and Miscellaneous Goods and Services
- Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
- Health
- Education Services
- Information and Communication
- Recreation, Sport and Culture
- Insurance and Financial Services
- Energy, Fuel, and Non-Food Items
- Core and Supplementary Indices
Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages
Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages inflation—the category with the highest weight in the basket at 28.2%—increased to 5.7% year-on-year in April 2026 from 5.5% recorded in March 2026.
On a monthly basis, food prices rose by 0.9% between March and April 2026, driven by price increases across a broad range of items.
Food items recording the largest monthly price increases included cocoyams (9.0%), fruits (6.7%), cooking bananas (5.3%), dry cassava (4.1%), sweet potatoes (2.6%), sugar (2.1%), dried sardines (2.0%), pasta products (1.9%), sorghum grains (1.8%), dried lentils (1.8%), vegetables (1.8%), oils and fats (1.7%), dried fish (1.7%), bread and bakery products (1.5%), wheat grains (1.2%), wheat flour (1.2%), dried beans (1.0%), poultry (0.9%), dried cowpeas (0.8%), goat meat (0.6%), industrial fruit juices (0.5%), industrial drinking water (0.5%), sodas (0.4%), and beef (0.3%).
Non-Food Inflation
The inflation rate for all items excluding food and non-alcoholic beverages increased to 3.3% in April 2026 from 2.1% recorded in March 2026.
The following categories contributed to non-food price movements during the month.
Transport
Transport recorded the highest annual inflation rate among all main groups at 9.2%, with a weight of 14.1% in the NCPI basket.
Its monthly index rose from 124.22 in March 2026 to 130.68 in April 2026, representing a monthly increase of 5.2%.
Monthly price increases in the transport category were driven by diesel (29.3%), petrol (29.6%), bus fares (3.9%), taxi fares (7.8%), and motorcycles/Bodaboda fares (14.6%).
Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels
The Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels category—the third-largest component of the basket with a weight of 15.1%—recorded annual inflation of 1.7%, with its index rising to 120.93 in April 2026 from 118.90 in April 2025, and a monthly increase of 0.9%.
Monthly price increases in this category were driven by kerosene, which rose by 13.4%, charcoal by 3.1%, and cement by 3.1%.
Clothing and Footwear
Clothing and Footwear recorded annual inflation of 1.6%, with its index rising to 116.35 in April 2026 from 114.51 in April 2025, and a monthly increase of 0.3%.
Monthly price increases in this category were driven by clothing materials (0.7%), garments for men (0.9%), garments for women (0.3%), and footwear for women (0.4%).
Restaurants and Accommodation Services
Restaurants and Accommodation Services recorded annual inflation of 1.8%, with its index rising to 119.13 in April 2026 from 117.08 in April 2025, and a monthly increase of 0.1%.
Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance
Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance recorded annual inflation of 2.6%, with its index rising to 118.35 in April 2026 from 115.35 in April 2025, and a monthly increase of 0.4%.
Monthly price increases in this category included household furniture (0.6%), household utensils such as plates, knives, glasses, cups and cooking pans (0.7%), as well as detergents, laundry soap and insecticide sprays (1.3%).
Personal Care, Social Protection and Miscellaneous Goods and Services
Personal Care, Social Protection and Miscellaneous Goods and Services recorded annual inflation of 3.5%, with its index rising to 122.15 in April 2026 from 118.05 in April 2025, and a monthly increase of 0.2%.
Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco
Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco recorded annual inflation of 2.3%, with its index rising to 114.74 in April 2026 from 112.14 in April 2025, and a monthly increase of 0.3%.
Health
Health recorded annual inflation of 1.6%, with its index rising to 111.03 in April 2026 from 109.31 in April 2025, and a monthly increase of 0.6%.
Education Services
Education Services recorded annual inflation of 2.6%, with its index rising to 115.03 in April 2026 from 112.16 in April 2025, and a monthly increase of 1.6%.
Information and Communication
Information and Communication recorded annual inflation of 1.0%, with its index rising to 107.18 in April 2026 from 106.17 in April 2025, with no monthly change recorded in April 2026.
Recreation, Sport and Culture
Recreation, Sport and Culture recorded the lowest annual inflation among all main groups at 0.7%, with its index rising to 111.93 in April 2026 from 111.13 in April 2025, and a monthly increase of 0.3%.
Insurance and Financial Services
Insurance and Financial Services recorded the lowest annual inflation among all categories at 0.1%, with its index rising to 102.59 in April 2026 from 102.46 in April 2025, with no monthly change recorded in April 2026.
Energy, Fuel, and Non-Food Items
Among non-food items contributing to monthly price increases, petrol recorded the largest gain at 29.6%, followed by diesel at 29.3%, motorcycles/Bodaboda fares at 14.6%, kerosene at 13.4%, taxi fares at 7.8%, and charcoal at 3.1%.
Goods and services for recreation, sport and culture increased by 0.3%, while goods and services for personal care rose by 0.1% during the month.
The Energy, Fuel and Utilities Index rose by 5.3% year-on-year and by 5.1% month-on-month in April 2026, reflecting strong upward pressure from fuel and utility prices.
Core and Supplementary Indices
The Core Inflation Rate—which excludes volatile items such as unprocessed food, energy, and utilities, except maize flour—increased to 3.1% in April 2026 from 2.2% in March 2026.
The Core Index covers 297 items representing 73.9% of the total NCPI weight and provides policymakers with a more stable measure of underlying price trends.
The Non-Core Index, which captures the more volatile components of the basket, stood at 6.3% year-on-year in April 2026, with a monthly increase of 1.7%.
The Goods Index recorded annual inflation of 4.0%, while the Services Index rose by 4.0% year-on-year.
The Education Services and Products Ancillary to Education Index recorded annual inflation of 1.4%, while the All Items Less Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Index rose by 3.3% year-on-year.
The next NCPI release, covering May 2026, is scheduled for June 8, 2026.
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