Average inflation in Kenya

International Monetary Fund · Annual · Importance

IMF forecast (WEO): 2026: 5.9% 2027: 5.9% 2028: 5.7% 2029: 5.7% 2030: 5.3% 2031: 5.0%

5.8% (1999) ANUAL · % · Annual · CSV

Period	%
Jan 1999	5.8%
Jan 1998	5.4%
Jan 1997	11.3%
Jan 1996	6.8%
Jan 1995	1.6%
Jan 1994	28.8%
Jan 1993	46.0%
Jan 1992	27.3%
Jan 1991	20.1%
Jan 1990	17.8%

About this indicator

Source

International Monetary Fund

Frequency

Annual

Release

Published annually, covering the full year and subject to revision.

What it is

Measures the change in prices of a representative basket of goods and services bought by Kenyan households. Compiled by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), it is the country's main gauge of inflation.

How it's calculated

Based on a monthly price survey across retail outlets in Kenya's regions. Each item is weighted by its share of household spending and aggregated into an index with a base year (index 100). Average annual inflation averages the year's year-on-year rates.

Market implications

It is the key reference for the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) when setting its policy rate. Hotter-than-expected inflation tends to push rates higher and can weigh on the Kenyan shilling, while eroding households' purchasing power.

Limitations

It only captures the defined basket, so it does not reflect the whole economy. It is sensitive to food and fuel prices, which carry a large weight in Kenyan spending; the underlying trend is tracked via core inflation, which strips out energy and fresh food.