Inflation South Africa 2012

Average inflation: 5.7%

Current Inflation

Inflation is very high at 5.7%, far above the ECB target.

Peak and Trough

The highest inflation was in April at 6.3%. The lowest inflation was in July at 4.8%.

Highest month
April: 6.3%
Lowest month
July: 4.8%
Difference
1.5 percentage points
Months with data
12 of 12

Category Insights

The highest price increase was in Education with an average of 9.1%. The lowest price increase was in Communication with an average of -0.9%.

Highest increase
Education: 9.1%
Lowest increase
Communication: -0.9%

Historical Context

Current inflation is 0.7% lower than the 5-year average of 6.4%.

5-year average
6.4%
10-year average
4.9%
All-time high (2008)
9.9%
All-time low (2004)
-0.7%

Trend

Inflation shows an upward trend. Compared to 2011, inflation has risen by +0.7 percentage point.

Change vs. previous year
+0.7 percentage points
Largest monthly swing
February: +2.7 percentage points

ECB Target

Inflation is 3.7% 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 €100 this year will cost approximately €105.70 next year at this inflation rate.

Multi-year trend

Monthly figures 2012

Inflation by category

Food and non-alcoholic beverages
7.2%
+1.5vs avg.
More details →
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics
7.2%
+1.5vs avg.
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Clothing and footwear
3.8%
-1.9vs avg.
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Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels
6.4%
+0.7vs avg.
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Furnishings, household equipment and maintenance
2.5%
-3.2vs avg.
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Health
5.3%
-0.4vs avg.
More details →
Transport
6.4%
+0.7vs avg.
More details →
Communication
-0.9%
-6.6vs avg.
More details →
Recreation and culture
0.9%
-4.8vs avg.
More details →
Education
9.1%
+3.4vs avg.
More details →
Restaurants and hotels
6.2%
+0.5vs avg.
More details →
Miscellaneous goods and services
5.3%
-0.4vs avg.
More details →

Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.

Month overview

Month Inflation Difference vs. 2011
January 6.0% +2.2
February 6.2% +2.7
March 6.1% +2.2
April 6.3% +2.0
May 5.9% +1.4
June 5.7% +0.6
July 4.8% -0.3
August 5.4% +0.3
September 5.4% -0.5
October 5.5% -0.8
November 5.7% -0.4
December 5.7% -0.6
Average 5.7%

Data source

Data from OECD. Last updated: 10/01/2026.

See also