In October 2026, inflation in Tunisia stands at 5.6%, but the price increase of food and non-alcoholic beverages reaches 8.5% year over year.
The figures published on November 5 by the National Institute of Statistics (INS) show a persistent gap between the national average and several essential items of household budgets.
Key takeaways. General inflation remains at 5.6% in September as in October. Food prices rise from 8.4% to 8.5%.
Fresh fruits rise by 20% year over year, while cooking oils fall by 4.8%.
Why 5.6% does not summarize food expenditures
The inflation rate corresponds to the variation of an index that aggregates consumer goods and services, weighted according to their share of spending. It is neither the price rise of each product nor the exact cost increase of each household’s shopping.
The composition of purchases, the place of procurement, and the share spent on food can make a household’s experience very different from the average.
In October, the gap between food inflation and overall inflation reaches 2.9 percentage points (8.5% vs. 5.6%). This difference describes two distinct indices: it should not be interpreted as a loss of purchasing power calculated for each household.
Fruits, meats and vegetables: the largest year-on-year increases
| Products | Yearly variation |
| Fresh fruit | +20.0 % |
| Lamb meat | +14.7 % |
| Poultry | +14.5 % |
| Beef | +13.0 % |
| Fresh vegetables | +12.9 % |
| Fresh fish | +8.9 % |
| Edible oils | -4.8 % |
This snapshot highlights the diversity of changes within the same department. Food does not rise uniformly: some product families far outpace the overall pace, while edible oils show a year-on-year decline.
Stable inflation, but food pressure is intensifying
The general rate was 5.4% in August, then 5.6% in September and October 2026. Over the same sequence, the annual index for the food and non-alcoholic beverages group rose from 7.5% in August to 8.4% in September, then 8.5% in October.
This acceleration of the food component does not mean that all prices rise at the same pace. Between September and October, the annual rate for fresh fruit rose from 16.3% to 20%, while poultry fell from 16.5% to 14.5%. The two categories nonetheless remain more expensive than a year earlier.
Be careful not to confuse month-on-month increase with year-on-year increase
In October alone, consumer prices rose by 0.7% compared with September. The food group rose by 0.2% on a monthly basis. Fresh fruit gained 3%, fresh vegetables 1.3%, and eggs 0.9%, while poultry prices fell by 2.1%, lamb meat by 1.2%, and fish by 1%.
There is no contradiction between a monthly decline in poultry and a 14.5% annual rise: the two variations are calculated from different comparison periods. A temporary decrease does not necessarily erase the rises accumulated over twelve months.
Freely priced products vs. regulated-priced products: a marked difference
According to the INS, freely priced food products register an annual increase of 9.6%, compared with 0.3% for regulated-price food products. Across all products, freely priced prices rise by 6.8%, versus 1.2% for regulated prices.
The contrast illustrates the importance of the price-formation regime. However, it is not sufficient by itself to explain the changes of each product. The INS publication does not allow attributing all increases to a single cause, whether agricultural costs, transport, distribution, or a change in supply.
Why the end of sales also affects the overall index
The INS also notes a monthly rise of 6.3% in clothing and footwear prices, linked to the end of summer sales. On a year-on-year basis, this group increases by 9.1%. Manufactured goods rise by 4.8% over a year and services by 4.1%.
Core inflation, calculated excluding food and energy, falls to 4.8% in October from 4.9% in September. This development indicates a relative moderation of this component, without eliminating the pressure exerted by food products.
The upcoming monthly publications will tell whether the gap between food and the general index narrows, and whether the strong increases in fruits and meats ease. To assess purchasing power, one will also need to compare price movements with income trends across the different household categories, data not calculated in this statement.
