The annual inflation rate in Botswana rose to 3.0 percent in September 2019 from 2.9 percent in the previous month. This is the highest inflation rate since March, mainly due to prices of food & non-alcoholic beverages (2.5 percent vs 2.0 percent in August); transport (6.2 percent, the same pace pace as in the prior month) and miscellaneous goods & services (5.1 percent vs 5.0 percent). However, cost slowed for housing & utilities (1.6 percent vs 1.8 percent); furnishings (2.1 percent vs 2.2 percent) and health (0.9 percent vs 1.1 percent). Also, inflation was steady for clothing & footwear (at 1.2 percent); recreation & culture (at 0.1 percent) and education (at 3.2 percent). On a monthly basis, consumer prices edged up 0.1 percent, the same pace as in the previous month. Inflation Rate in Botswana averaged 6.96 percent from 1997 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 15.06 percent in November of 2008 and a record low of 2.50 percent in April of 2019.
Inflation Rate in Botswana is expected to be 3.00 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Inflation Rate in Botswana to stand at 2.80 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Botswana Inflation Rate is projected to trend around 3.10 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.