Leading African Nations Facing Surging Food Prices in Early 2025

Top 10 African countries with the highest food inflation at the start of 2025

Food inflation looms as a profound challenge for numerous African nations, exacerbating existing economic hardships and amplifying food insecurity for millions of citizens.

Life in various parts of Africa is already mired in complexity, as many countries grapple with systemic issues. With the spike in food prices, the situation is akin to salt on an open wound—undermining not only household well-being but threatening the broader economic landscape. Consider a family struggling to make ends meet, now facing the relentless rise in basic food prices. The dilemma at hand asks more than what it seems; what future awaits these families if relief is not found?

According to the World Bank’s recent Food Security Update, food security in many low-income African nations is alarmingly low, with a staggering 61.6 million individuals classified as food insecure. Could you imagine a future where this number only decreases to become a haunting statistic of the past?

Moreover, an additional 50 million people are anticipated to join this distressing statistic in the regions of Western and Central Africa. How can we reverse this tide and build a sustainable future for such communities?

Two predominant forces perpetuate these conditions: conflicts and climate change. The ravages of war often leave fields barren and populations displaced, while climate change continues to shift weather patterns, resulting in unpredictable and often unproductive farming seasons. As one elderly farmer recalled, “The rains come when they desire, not when we’re prepared.” These challenges compound the pressures placed upon subsistence farmers and nations reliant on agriculture as a backbone of their economies.

Recent data underscores the gravity of the situation, indicating that agricultural and export price indices have surged, closing at 3% and 6% higher than prior figures. The report bluntly states, “The cereal price index closed at the same level, but domestic food price inflation persists in being high in most low-income countries.” This upward trend in prices raises another pivotal question: how do we shield the vulnerable from the ripple effects of these economic shifts?

The most recent monthly assessments stretching from October 2024 to January 2025 reveal that food price inflation hovers above 5% in an overwhelming majority of low and middle-income countries. Specifically, inflation was higher than 5% in 73.7% of low-income countries—a 1.5 percentage point hike since the last analysis in January 2025. Similar patterns emerge in 52.2% of lower-middle-income countries, with a notable 8.7 percentage point increase, while 38.0% of upper-middle-income countries reported no change. Reflecting on these figures might prompt us to question the adequacy of current policy responses to food inflation.

It is noteworthy that in real terms, food price inflation has exceeded overall inflation in 56% of the 164 countries where both the food CPI and overall CPI indexes are accessible. Arguably, it paints a dire picture of how cocoa prices could surge by morning and sugar quote by sunset, leaving scores of families guessing how to balance the books come evening.

To further emphasize the severity, here are the 10 African countries with the highest food inflation early in 2025, as documented in the World Bank’s Food report, spanning data from February 2024 to February 2025.

Rank Country Inflation Figure
1. Sudan 321.6
2. South Sudan 106.0
3. Nigeria 39.8
4. Malawi 35.6
5. Ghana 28.3
6. Burundi 27.3
7. Egypt 20.8
8. Angola 20.3
9. Zambia 19.2
10. Ethiopia 19.2

Every statistic and every story reminds us of the resilient spirit of those affected. Is it not time to inspire concerted global action to combat food inflation and secure a future where food abundance is accessible to all?

Edited By Ali Musa Axadle Times international–Monitoring.

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