Nigeria’s inflation has been higher than the average for African and Sub-Saharan countries for years now, and even exceeded 16 percent in 2017 – and a real, significant decrease is nowhere in sight. The bigger problem is its unsteadiness, however: An inflation rate that is bouncing all over the place, like this one, is usually a sign of a struggling economy, causing prices to fluctuate, and unemployment and poverty to increase. Nigeria’s economy - a so-called “mixed economy”, which means the market economy is at least in part regulated by the state – is not entirely in bad shape, though. More than half of its GDP is generated by the services sector, namely telecommunications and finances, and the country derives a significant share of its state revenues from oil.

Because it got high

To simplify: When the inflation rate rises, so do prices, and consequently banks raise their interest rates as well to cope and maintain their profit margin. Higher interest rates often cause unemployment to rise. In certain scenarios, rising prices can also mean more panicky spending and consumption among end users, causing debt and poverty. The extreme version of this is called hyperinflation: A rapid increase of prices that is out of control and leads to bankruptcies en masse, devaluation of money and subsequently a currency reform, among other things. But does that mean that low inflation is better? Maybe, but only to a certain degree; the ECB, for example, aspires to maintain an inflation rate of about two percent so as to keep the economy stable. As soon as we reach deflation territory, however, things are starting to look grim again. The best course is a stable inflation rate, to avoid uncertainty and rash actions.

Nigeria today

Nigeria is one of the countries with the largest populations worldwide and also the largest economy in Africa, with its economy growing rapidly after a slump in the aforementioned year 2017. It is slated to be one of the countries with the highest economic growth over the next few decades. Demographic key indicators, like infant mortality rate, fertility rate, and the median age of the population, all point towards a bright future. Additionally, the country seems to make big leaps forward in manufacturing and technological developments, and boasts huge natural resources, including natural gas. All in all, Nigeria and its inflation seem to be on the upswing – or on the path to stabilization, as it were.

The average inflation rate in the Nigeria was forecast to continuously decrease between 2023 and 2028 by in total 6.1 percentage points. The average inflation rate is estimated to amount to 14 percent in 2028.Following the definitions provided by the International Monetary Fund, this indicator measures inflation based upon the year on year change in the average consumer price index. The latter expresses a country's average level of prices based on a typical basket of consumer goods and services. Depicted here is the year-on-year change in said index measure, expressed in percent.Find more key insights for the average inflation rate in countries like Senegal, Mali and Cote D'Ivoire.

Urban versus rural inflation disparity Comparing rural to urban areas in Nigeria showed that inflation was slightly worse in urban areas, with a difference of close to one percent in 2022. Other economic indicators reveal that inflation had a severe impact on the prices of consumer goods. Moreover, the Consumer Index Price of food in Nigeria in 2022 was 590.2. The food products with the highest percentage change in price was beans with 40 percent and over, depending on the color. That was followed by beef articles with 34 to close to 37 percent, depending on the part.

Fuel price surges: a closer look at diesel price fluctuations in Nigeria Another area that saw a dramatic spike in prices was fuel prices. In February 2023, there was a 0.98 percent rise in the cost of diesel in Nigeria when compared to January 2023. The most substantial surge occurred in March 2022. During that month, the average price of diesel surged by nearly 73 percent in contrast to the preceding month. This sharp escalation was attributed to a worldwide deficit in fuel supply and difficulties in the supply chain, which was prompted by the conflict in Ukraine and regulations implemented to control the transmission of COVID-19. Furthermore, consumers in Nigeria faced an average diesel price of 836.91 Nigerian naira (NGN), approximately 1.82 U.S. dollars, per liter. The North-Central States of Nigeria displayed the most elevated prices, with consumers in this region paying an average of 850.65 NGN per liter, roughly 1.85 U.S. dollars. During this specific timeframe, Osun emerged as the State with the highest price across Nigeria, as diesel prices reached a pinnacle of 707 NGN (equivalent to 1.7 U.S. dollars).

Inflation Rate in Nigeria decreased to 23.18 percent in February from 24.48 percent in January of 2025. This dataset provides - Nigeria Inflation Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Zimbabwe had the highest inflation in Africa as of 2023. The rate reached roughly 172 percent when compared to the previous year, according to the source's estimates. This was followed by Sudan, with a rate increase of over 71 percent. Inflationary pressures in the country have been driven by a long-running economic crisis and political instability. By the end of 2021, the already fragile Sudanese economy suffered again when military forces took control of the government. With a

Inflation Rate in Ghana decreased to 23.10 percent in February from 23.50 percent in January of 2025. This dataset provides - Ghana Inflation Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

At the end of 2023, Zimbabwe had the highest inflation rate in the world, at 667.36 percent change compared to the previous year. Inflation in industrialized and in emerging countries Higher inflation rates are more present in less developed economies, as they often lack a sufficient central banking system, which in turn results in the manipulation of currency to achieve short term economic goals. Thus, interest rates increase while the general economic situation remains constant. In more developed economies and in the prime emerging markets, the inflation rate does not fluctuate as sporadically. Additionally, the majority of countries that maintained the lowest inflation rate compared to previous years are primarily oil producers or small island independent states. These countries experienced deflation, which occurs when the inflation rate falls below zero; this may happen for a variety of factors, such as a shift in supply or demand of goods and services, or an outflow of capital.

Consumer Price Index CPI in Nigeria increased to 112.90 points in February from 110.70 points in January of 2025. This dataset provides - Nigeria Consumer Price Index (CPI) - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2023, the inflation rate in Bangladesh amounted to about 9.02 percent compared to the previous year. For the next few years, inflation in Bangladesh is forecast to stay around 5.5 percent.

Up-and-coming Bangladesh

Bangladesh is a mixed economy on the rise, with a soaring gross domestic product (GDP) and steady economic growth. While its unemployment has increased slightly since 2010, it seems to rest comfortably below the 4.4-percent mark. Employment is shifting from agriculture to services – the main GDP generator of the country.

One of the Next Eleven

Bangladesh is a fast-growing emerging economy and a member of the so-called Next Eleven – eleven nations with promising economic developments that puts them almost on eye level with the four BRIC states. Both terms were coined by economist Jim O’Neill and describe the major emerging economies today, taking aspects like macroeconomic stability, openness of trade, and standard of living into account. Other members of the Next Eleven are Egypt, Indonesia, Mexico, and Nigeria, among others.

As of December 30, 2024, the major economy with the highest yield on 10-year government bonds was Turkey, with a yield of 27.38 percent. This is due to the risks investors take when investing in Turkey, notably due to high inflation rates potentially eradicating any profits made when using a foreign currency to investing in securities denominated in Turkish lira. Of the major developed economies, United States had one the highest yield on 10-year government bonds at this time with 4.59 percent, while Switzerland had the lowest at 0.27 percent. How does inflation influence the yields of government bonds? Inflation reduces purchasing power over time. Due to this, investors seek higher returns to offset the anticipated decrease in purchasing power resulting from rapid price rises. In countries with high inflation, government bond yields often incorporate investor expectations and risk premiums, resulting in comparatively higher rates offered by these bonds. Why are government bond rates significant? Government bond rates are an important indicator of financial markets, serving as a benchmark for borrowing costs, interest rates, and investor sentiment. They affect the cost of government borrowing, influence the price of various financial instruments, and serve as a reflection of expectations regarding inflation and economic growth. For instance, in financial analysis and investing, people often use the 10-year U.S. government bond rates as a proxy for the longer-term risk-free rate.

As of August 1, 2023, one U.S. dollar could buy 21,021.7 Sierra Leonean leones (SLL), the highest exchange rate among the African currencies. Furthermore, one U.S. dollar corresponded to 758.9 Nigerian naira (NGN), 30.85 Egyptian pounds (EGP), 18.03 South African rand (ZAR), and 9.86 Moroccan dirhams (MAD) as of the same date.

Exchange rates and inflation: a case study of West African countries

Exchange rates can affect a country's inflation rate and the purchasing power of its currency. If a country's currency depreciates significantly, it can lead to higher inflation as the cost of imported goods and services increases. Indeed, the inflation rate in Sierra Leone increased steeply over the past two years. The IMF further estimates that inflation will continue to rise before falling again. This high inflation and other factors also led to the depreciation of the SLL. Furthermore, a regional perspective showed that Nigeria and Liberia faced similar high inflation rates.

Businesses' strategies for tackling inflation

Unfavorable exchange rates negatively impact countries' economies. It does this in various ways, including limiting businesses' ability to grow. Issues such as inflation affect purchasing power and businesses' investment decisions. In 2023, a survey revealed that a substantial number of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) employed various measures to offset the impact of inflation. Approximately 36 percent of these businesses tapped into their personal savings to bolster their operations, while another 32 percent opted to scale down their business activities.

At 8.07 U.S. dollars, Switzerland has the most expensive Big Macs in the world, according to the July 2024 Big Mac index. Concurrently, the cost of a Big Mac was 5.69 dollars in the U.S., and 6.06 U.S. dollars in the Euro area. What is the Big Mac index? The Big Mac index, published by The Economist, is a novel way of measuring whether the market exchange rates for different countries’ currencies are overvalued or undervalued. It does this by measuring each currency against a common standard – the Big Mac hamburger sold by McDonald’s restaurants all over the world. Twice a year the Economist converts the average national price of a Big Mac into U.S. dollars using the exchange rate at that point in time. As a Big Mac is a completely standardized product across the world, the argument goes that it should have the same relative cost in every country. Differences in the cost of a Big Mac expressed as U.S. dollars therefore reflect differences in the purchasing power of each currency. Is the Big Mac index a good measure of purchasing power parity? Purchasing power parity (PPP) is the idea that items should cost the same in different countries, based on the exchange rate at that time. This relationship does not hold in practice. Factors like tax rates, wage regulations, whether components need to be imported, and the level of market competition all contribute to price variations between countries. The Big Mac index does measure this basic point – that one U.S. dollar can buy more in some countries than others. There are more accurate ways to measure differences in PPP though, which convert a larger range of products into their dollar price. Adjusting for PPP can have a massive effect on how we understand a country’s economy. The country with the largest GDP adjusted for PPP is China, but when looking at the unadjusted GDP of different countries, the U.S. has the largest economy.