Benin inflation falls to 0.9% as food prices ease despite utility pressures

• Inflation drops to lowest since May 2025
• Food prices ease despite utility cost surge

COTONOU, BENIN – Benin’s inflation slowed to 0.9% in January, its lowest level since May 2025, as easing food prices offset continued rises in housing and energy costs.

Consumer prices edged down at the start of the year, according to inflation data released Tuesday by the National Institute of Statistics and Demography (INStaD). The headline annual inflation rate declined from 1.4% in December 2025 to 0.9% in January. It stood at 0.6% in January 2025.