Inflation South Africa 2019
Average inflation: 4.1%
Current Inflation
Inflation is high at 4.1%, well above the ECB target.
Peak and Trough
The highest inflation was in March at 4.5%. The lowest inflation was in October at 3.6%.
- Highest month
- March: 4.5%
- Lowest month
- October: 3.6%
- Difference
- 0.9 percentage points
- Months with data
- 12 of 12
Category Insights
The highest price increase was in Education with an average of 6.7%. The lowest price increase was in Communication with an average of 0.3%.
- Highest increase
- Education: 6.7%
- Lowest increase
- Communication: 0.3%
Historical Context
Current inflation is 0.9% lower than the 5-year average of 5.0%.
- 5-year average
- 5%
- 10-year average
- 5.2%
- All-time high (2008)
- 9.9%
- All-time low (2004)
- -0.7%
Trend
Inflation shows a downward trend. Compared to 2018, inflation has fallen by +0.4 percentage point.
- Change vs. previous year
- -0.4 percentage points
- Largest monthly swing
- November: -1.5 percentage points
ECB Target
Inflation is 2.1% above the ECB target of 2.0%. This means purchasing power is declining faster than intended.
Purchasing Power
At this inflation rate, purchasing power noticeably decreases. Without a salary increase, you can buy less with the same money.
What you could buy for €100 this year will cost approximately €104.10 next year at this inflation rate.
Multi-year trend
Monthly figures 2019
Inflation by category
Inflation differs per product group. Click on a category for the historical trend.
Month overview
| Month | Inflation | Difference vs. 2018 |
|---|---|---|
| January | 3.8% | -0.5 |
| February | 4.1% | +0.3 |
| March | 4.5% | +0.8 |
| April | 4.3% | +0.1 |
| May | 4.4% | 0.0 |
| June | 4.4% | +0.1 |
| July | 4.0% | -1.0 |
| August | 4.4% | -0.4 |
| September | 4.1% | -0.8 |
| October | 3.6% | -1.4 |
| November | 3.6% | -1.5 |
| December | 4.0% | -0.6 |
| Average | 4.1% |
Data source
Data from OECD. Last updated: 10/01/2026.