For the third consecutive month, Mauritius's annual inflation rate has risen. In September 2026, it reached 5.7% — its highest level since February 2024 — up from 4.9% in August, according to Statistics Mauritius data tracked by Trading Economics.
A broad-based price surge
The monthly price increase was +0.6% in September (after +0.4% in August), enough to push the annual index to a new high. The acceleration was broad-based, touching almost every household spending category.
The most inflationary components: housing and utilities (+8.9%), restaurants and hotels (+9%), transport (+7.6%) and education (+6.3%). Food prices — critical for lower-income households — saw a sharp acceleration, jumping from +3.9% in August to +6.2% in September.
Above the central bank's own forecast
The Bank of Mauritius raised its policy rate to 4.75% in May 2026, forecasting annual inflation of 5.5% for the full year. That threshold has already been breached with three months still to go. The next Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting will be closely watched: a further tightening could raise borrowing costs for businesses and households.
Why it matters
Inflation persistently above 5% erodes purchasing power for workers whose wages have not kept pace. It also complicates fiscal management at a time when the Mauritius government is trying to support growth already revised downward to 2.8–3% in 2026. For businesses, pressure on operating costs — energy, rent, transport — is intensifying at the very moment when the island's tourism and financial competitiveness is under international scrutiny.
Source: Statistics Mauritius / Trading Economics, October 2026.