However, the report also revealed signs of easing price pressure on a month-on-month basis, suggesting that the pace of inflation growth may be slowing gradually.
According to the NBS, the month-on-month headline inflation rate stood at 2.13 per cent in April, representing a sharp decline from the 4.18 per cent recorded in March.
“This means that in April 2026, the rate of increase in the average price level was lower than the rate of increase in the average price level in March 2026,” the bureau stated.
On a 12-month average basis, the headline inflation rate for the period ending April 2026 was 19.16 per cent, slightly lower than the 19.33 per cent recorded in April 2025.
A breakdown of the data showed mixed inflationary trends across urban and rural areas.
Urban inflation stood at 15.40 per cent year-on-year in April 2026, while the month-on-month urban inflation rate slowed to 1.86 per cent from 3.16 per cent in March.
The corresponding 12-month average urban inflation rate was 19.07 per cent, lower than the 20.76 per cent reported in April 2025.
In rural areas, inflation was higher at 16.36 per cent year-on-year, reflecting continued pressure on prices outside major cities.
The month-on-month rural inflation rate, however, dropped significantly to 2.80 per cent in April from 6.73 per cent recorded in March.
The 12-month average rural inflation rate stood at 18.99 per cent, compared to 17.63 per cent in the corresponding period of 2025.