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Inflation

An illustration for property, mortgages, bank loans and home savings. A model of a house sitting on architectural plans, with a blurred piggy bank in the background.
Explainer

What the Bank of Uganda’s rise to 12 per cent means for the shilling, fuel and loans

How the Bank of Uganda's increase in its policy rate to 12 per cent could affect the shilling, pump prices, and existing loans and savings
The Bank of Uganda's headquarters in Kampala

Bank of Uganda raises benchmark rate to 12 per cent at special meeting

Uganda’s central bank lifted its rate to 12 per cent, the largest increase since 2011, and raised its inflation forecasts as the shilling weakened
The crest of the Bank of Uganda on its premises
Foreign exchange

Shilling breaches Shs4,000 with reserves nearly double their 2024 level

Uganda's reserves are 86.6 per cent above their February 2024 level, yet the central bank says it plans no dollar sales as the shilling weakens
Vegetables and fruit on a stall at Mercat de la Boqueria, Barcelona.

Food and fuel push Uganda’s inflation to its highest since 2023

Annual inflation rose to 4.6 per cent from 4.1 per cent as matooke rose 16 per cent in a month and petrol and diesel stayed 30.9 and 42.5 per cent above last year
Several white fuel tankers bearing "Danger Petrol" signs parked on a dirt lot at a storage depot in Jinja, Uganda, under a blue sky.
Inflation

Fuel prices push inflation higher in May

Headline inflation edged up in May as energy and transport costs climbed sharply amid higher global oil prices
The oil and chemical tanker Petrel Pacific moored at a terminal during twilight, discharging ballast water.
Monetary policy

Bank of Uganda’s Monetary Policy Statement for May 2026 — Full text

Monetary Policy Committee keeps rates on hold for a seventh consecutive meeting but raises its inflation outlook as fuel costs begin feeding through
Kampala road in Kampala on a busy day

Rising energy prices push inflation higher in April

Inflation rose to 3% in April as fuel and transport costs increased, highlighting growing energy-driven price pressures
A fuel station in Kibuye, Kampala

Inflation dips despite fastest rise in fuel costs in over a year

Uganda’s March inflation eased to 2.8% as core and food prices offset a sharp rise in energy costs
An instructor and students at the International School of Uganda engage with 3D printing technology and laptops in a modern design laboratory in Kampala.

Inflation eases as education costs moderate

Annual inflation fell to 2.9% in February from 3.2% as education and service cost pressures eased

More Inflation

5 December 2016

Bank of Uganda governor expects “small rise” in GDP growth

The prospects for macroeconomic stability in the near to medium term are currently very good, according to the central bank governor. Economic growth in 2017 will be "close to the economy’s medium term potential growth of 5%," he said.

Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebi, the governor of the Bank of Uganda
30 November 2016

Food prices drive rise in headline inflation in November

Inflation for the year ended November 2016 rose to 4.6% from 4.1% the previous month, the first increase since July, while core inflation - a key measure targeted by the Bank of Uganda - rose for the second consecutive month to 5.2%.

31 October 2016

Inflation slows to 4.1% in October

Annual headline inflation slowed to 4.1% for the year ended October 2016 from 4.2% in September, according to data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Core inflation however rose to 5.1% year-on-year from 4.1% (revised) in September.

18 October 2016

Bank of Uganda lowers key lending rate to 13%

Bank of Uganda has cut its benchmark lending rate by 100 basis points to 13%, saying its forecast of core inflation will remain around the medium-term target of 5% over the next 12 months and citing the need to support domestic economic growth.

Bank of Uganda officials during the Monetary Policy Press Briefing
30 September 2016

Inflation falls to 4.2% in September

Annual headline inflation fell for the third consecutive month, slowing to 4.2% in September 2016 from 4.8% in August, according to data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics. Core inflation, which is targeted by the Central Bank, also fell to 4.1%.

A retail shopping centre in downtown Kampala, Uganda
18 September 2016

Bank of Uganda governor on central bank’s role in ensuring macroeconomic stability

To control core inflation, the Bank of Uganda takes a forward looking approach. This is because monetary policy operates with significant lags. A change in the interest rate today will not have its full impact on prices for at least one year ahead.

Emmanuel Tumusiime-Mutebi, the governor of the Bank of Uganda
1 September 2016

Inflation falls to lowest level in 16 months

Annual headline inflation fell to its lowest level in 16 months, coming in at 4.8% for August, data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics showed on Wednesday

29 July 2016

Interest rate cut likely after July drop in inflation

Inflation fell to 5.1% year-on-year in July from 5.9% in June according to data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, setting the stage for a third consecutive rate cut when Bank of Uganda's Monetary Policy Committee meets in mid-August.