Please refer to the attached file.
Key Insights
• Overall prices rose by +1.4% month-on-month and +7.6% year-on-year in March 2026. Food prices accounted for 92.9% of the overall MoM inflation; non-food prices accounted for 7.1%.
• Housing saw the steepest year-on-year price increase (+17.6%). Spices had the largest decline (-7.3%), offering some relief to households. • Provincial variation was substantial. Sar-e-Pul had the highest MoM inflation (+6.8%); Baghlan the lowest (-1.2%). 11 of 20 provinces reported food inflation above the national average (+2.6%).
• Annually, Paktya faces the greatest cost-of-living pressure (+19.8% YoY). Baghlan had the lowest annual rate (-0.6%), suggesting more stable prices over the past year.
• Among non-food items, housing costs rose by +17.6% year-on-year. Health costs also rose sharply (+13.9% YoY), adding pressure on vulnerable households beyond food expenditure.