Inflation South Africa 1990
Average inflation: 14.3%
Inflation in 1990
Inflation is very high at 14.3%, far above the ECB target.
Peak and Trough
The highest inflation was in January at 15.3%. The lowest inflation was in July at 13.1%.
- Highest month
- January: 15.3%
- Lowest month
- July: 13.1%
- Difference
- 2.2 percentage points
- Months with data
- 12 of 12
Historical Context
Inflation is 1.0 percentage points lower than the 5-year average of 15.3%.
- 5-year average
- 15.3%
- 10-year average
- 14.7%
- All-time high (1986)
- 18.7%
- All-time low (1971)
- 6%
Trend
Over the period 1988-1990, inflation shows an upward trend. Compared to 1989, inflation has fallen by 0.4 percentage points.
- Change vs. previous year
- -0.4 percentage points
- Largest monthly swing
- July: -2.3 percentage points
ECB Target
Inflation is 12.3 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 ZAR 100 this year will cost approximately ZAR 114.30 next year at this inflation rate.
Multi-year trend
Monthly figures 1990
Inflation by category
Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.
Month overview
| Month | Inflation | Difference vs. 1989 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 15.3% | +1.9 |
| February | 15.1% | +1.5 |
| March | 14.9% | +1.2 |
| April | 14.4% | +0.2 |
| May | 13.9% | -0.8 |
| June | 13.5% | -2.1 |
| July | 13.1% | -2.3 |
| August | 13.5% | -2.0 |
| September | 14.4% | -0.7 |
| October | 14.3% | -0.3 |
| November | 15.1% | +0.1 |
| December | 14.4% | -1.1 |
| Average | 14.3% |
Data source
Data from OECD. Last updated: 19/12/2025.