Malawi’s inflation rate fell for a tenth consecutive month to 19.4 per cent in September 2026, down from a peak of 29.1 per cent a year earlier, but economists warn the country remains an outlier in a region where most economies have achieved single-digit inflation. According to economist Kisu Simwaka, the decline has been driven […]
Malawi’s fuel crisis has sent bus fares through the roof — leaving skint commuters hitching lifts on the back of pickup trucks just to get to work. Fares have DOUBLED on some routes almost overnight, with passengers from Area 25 to Lilongwe’s Old Town now stung for K6,000, up from K4,000. It’s even worse heading […]
There is an old rule of politics that voters do not judge governments on rates of change. They judge them on prices. By that standard, President Peter Mutharika’s first year looks rather less impressive than his officials would like. The government’s best exhibit is inflation, which fell from about 29 per cent in October 2025 […]
Malawi’s fragile economic recovery — recently hailed by the World Bank — is now at serious risk of being wiped out entirely by the country’s crippling fuel shortage, a leading economic commentator has dramatically warned. Dr Ben Dzolowere launched a blistering attack on the government’s handling of the crisis, demanding Minister of Energy Jean Namathanga […]
Malawi’s banking chief has heaped praise on President Peter Mutharika, crediting him with steering the country’s economy firmly back on track, after a high-level meeting at Kamuzu Palace that saw both men hail a raft of encouraging economic indicators. Bankers Association of Malawi (BAM) President Philip Madinga delivered the glowing verdict after sitting down with […]
Malawi’s headline inflation rate has fallen for a seventh consecutive month, easing to 20.01 per cent in August from 20.83 per cent in July, according to data from the National Statistical Office analysed by Chifi Mhango, chief economist at Don Consultancy Group. The rate has now declined 8.22 percentage points over the past year, from […]
Malawian households are being hit by a fresh cost of living blow after maize prices rocketed by a staggering 20 per cent in just one month, sparking fresh fears over food affordability across the country. New figures reveal the average retail price of the nation’s staple crop surged to K960 per kilogramme in August — […]
Malawi’s annual inflation rate edged down to 20.8 per cent in July, from 21.1 per cent in June, according to data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO) on August 15 — a modest 0.3 percentage point decline that offers only limited relief to households grappling with a persistently high cost of living. The moderation […]
The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) has kept its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 24.0 per cent, as the central bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) opted to let previous tightening measures continue working through the economy rather than adjust borrowing costs further. The decision, taken at the MPC’s third meeting of 2026, comes as inflation […]
Don Consultancy Group’s inaugural Malawi Pressure Index (MPI) reading of 78 for June 2026 places the country firmly in the “High Pressure” zone. The new composite indicator, launched on 31 July 2026 in Johannesburg, South Africa, is designed as an early-warning tool — and its first signal is that Malawi’s macroeconomy is under significant strain, […]
Malawi’s headline inflation eased to 21.1% in June, down from 23.4% in May, in a decline driven primarily by falling food prices, according to an analysis by Kisu Simwaka, Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi and a prominent economist, shared on Facebook. Food inflation fell sharply to 14.7% from 17.6% the previous month […]
Malawi’s headline inflation rate fell by 2.3 percentage points in June to 21.1 per cent, down from 23.4 per cent in May, according to the latest flash estimate from the National Statistical Office, marking a continuation of the disinflationary trend seen in recent months. The moderation was driven primarily by food inflation, which slowed to […]
Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) Deputy Governor Kisu Simwaka has warned that Malawi’s stubbornly high inflation cannot be defeated by monetary policy alone, arguing that the country must address deeper structural weaknesses, including foreign exchange shortages, fiscal pressures, and climate vulnerability. Simwaka says Malawi’s inflation crisis has persisted because the economy lacks the foundations required […]
Grace Banda counted her tomatoes and, for once, didn’t wince. Twelve for the same price that had bought her only eight a month earlier. Small mercy — but a mercy all the same. Malawi’s inflation eased to 23.4 per cent in May, down from 24.3 per cent in April, as new harvest supplies pushed food […]
Chief executive points to easing inflation and expected rate cuts as catalysts for sustained recovery in Malawian financial sector. Standard Bank Malawi has reported a 41 per cent rise in post-tax profit to K122bn for the year ended 31 December 2025, as the listed lender said a confluence of improving macroeconomic conditions was strengthening the […]
Malawi’s latest inflation figures offer a neat headline for policymakers — but very little comfort for the people living through the country’s worst cost‑of‑living squeeze in years. A drop from 24.3% to 23.4% looks tidy in a report, yet it does not change the fact that most households are still battling rising prices, a weakened […]
Malawi’s year-on-year inflation rate has hit a record 7.6 per cent for December 2020 owing to rising food and non-food prices, published National Statistical Office (NSO) figures showed. The rate, which measures cost of living by reflecting how prices of general commodities increase in an economy, climbed by 0.3 % from 7.3 % in November. […]
Economic experts have warned that headline inflation may swell back to a double digit band and interest rates may increase if the government continues to spend beyond its means. UK-based Malawian expert, Sane Zuka and local economic think-tanks, Economics Association of Malawi (Ecama), said this when commenting on economic trends as reported by the Reserve […]