- Fuel and transport price hikes pushed Botswana’s annual inflation rate to 10.3 percent in April 2026, according to Statistics Botswana
GAZETTE REPORTER
Botswana’s annual inflation rate climbed to 10.3 percent in April 2026, up from 4.2 percent in March, according to a report released by Statistics Botswana.
The agency said the Transport group was the biggest contributor to the increase, accounting for 7.4 percentage points of the annual inflation rate. Miscellaneous Goods & Services contributed 1.1 percentage points, while Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages added 0.9 percentage points.
Statistics Botswana said inflation accelerated across all regions between March and April.
“The inflation rate in Rural Villages was 11.8 percent in April, an increase of 7.2 percentage points from the 4.6 percent recorded in March,” the report said.
Urban Villages recorded inflation of 10.1 percent in April, up from 4.2 percent in March, while Cities & Towns rose to 9.6 percent from 4.0 percent.
The national Consumer Price Index increased by 6.7 percent, from 141.4 in March to 150.9 in April 2026.
Transport Costs
The Transport group index rose by 21.1 percent, from 160.2 in March to 193.9 in April.
Statistics Botswana attributed the increase to higher costs in Operation of Personal Transport and Transport Services, which rose by 33.8 percent and 16.6 percent respectively.
“The overall rise in the Operation of Personal Transport section index was due the increase in retail pump prices for diesel 50ppm and Petrol 95 by P8.77 and P5.05 per litre respectively,” the report said.
The agency also linked higher transport costs to fare adjustments that took effect on April 1, 2026.
“The mini-bus and shared taxi fares increased by P2.00 each, while the long distance travel fares rose from P0.35 to P0.38 per kilometre on bitumen roads,” it said.
Other Increases
The Miscellaneous Goods & Services group index increased by 6.8 percent, from 160.6 in March to 171.5 in April, driven by higher Insurance, Personal Care and Taxes, Licences & Fees costs.
The Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco group index rose by 1.3 percent, while the Restaurants & Hotels group index increased by 1.0 percent.
Statistics Botswana said the All-Tradeables index climbed by 8.4 percent in April, while Imported Tradeables rose by 11.0 percent.
The report said All-Tradeables inflation accelerated to 15.0 percent in April from 6.5 percent in March.
“This sharp rise was primarily attributable to a significant escalation in Imported Tradeables inflation, which surged by 11.2 percentage points,” the report said.
Non-Tradeables inflation rose to 3.1 percent in April from 0.6 percent in March, while Domestic Tradeables inflation increased to 7.4 percent from 6.4 percent.