Inflation Kenya 2020
Average inflation: 5.4%
Inflation in 2020
Inflation is very high at 5.4%, far above the ECB target.
Peak and Trough
The highest inflation was in January at 7.4%. The lowest inflation was in September at 4.2%.
- Highest month
- January: 7.4%
- Lowest month
- September: 4.2%
- Difference
- 3.2 percentage points
- Months with data
- 12 of 12
Category Insights
The highest price increase was in Food with an average of 9.3%. The lowest price increase was in Energy with an average of 2.6%.
- Highest increase
- Food: 9.3%
- Lowest increase
- Energy: 2.6%
Historical Context
Inflation is 0.5 percentage points lower than the 5-year average of 5.9%.
- 5-year average
- 5.9%
- 10-year average
- 7.2%
- All-time high (2011)
- 14%
- All-time low (2010)
- 3.8%
Trend
Over the period 2018-2020, inflation has remained relatively stable. Compared to 2019, inflation has risen by 0.2 percentage points.
- Change vs. previous year
- +0.2 percentage points
- Largest monthly swing
- February: +3.1 percentage points
ECB Target
Inflation is 3.4 percentage points above the ECB target of 2.0%. This means purchasing power is declining faster than intended.
Purchasing Power
At this high inflation rate, purchasing power rapidly decreases. This has a major impact on households, especially without adequate salary increases.
What you could buy for KES 100 this year will cost approximately KES 105.40 next year at this inflation rate.
Multi-year trend
Monthly figures 2020
Inflation by category
Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.
Month overview
| Month | Inflation | Difference vs. 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 7.4% | +2.7 |
| February | 7.2% | +3.1 |
| March | 5.8% | +1.5 |
| April | 6.0% | +2.3 |
| May | 5.3% | +1.8 |
| June | 4.6% | -0.2 |
| July | 4.4% | -1.7 |
| August | 4.4% | -1.6 |
| September | 4.2% | -0.9 |
| October | 4.8% | -1.5 |
| November | 5.3% | -1.8 |
| December | 5.6% | -1.6 |
| Average | 5.4% |
Data source
Data from WorldBank. Last updated: 06/01/2026.