Tunisia’s inflation rate declined to 5% in September 2025 from 5.2% in August, according to the National Institute of Statistics (INS) in a statement released on Sunday, October 5.
The moderation was largely attributed to slower price increases in several sectors, including food, leisure, Culture, and hospitality. Food inflation eased to 5.7% compared to 5.9% the previous month, while the leisure and culture category saw a sharper fall from 5.4% to 4.6%. Transport services growth also slowed from 3.6% to 3.1%. Year-on-year, fresh vegetables, lamb, fresh fish and fruits recorded significant price hikes, whereas edible oils saw a steep decline of 24.3%.
Manufactured goods rose 4.9% year-on-year, driven by increases in clothing and household products, while services rose by 4.5%, mainly due to higher catering and hotel prices. Core inflation, excluding food and energy, dropped to 5.2% from 5.4% in August. Free (unregulated) products recorded a 6% annual increase, compared to 1.6% for regulated items, with free food products rising by 6.5% against just 0.2% for regulated food. INS noted that manufactured products and services contributed the most to overall inflation, accounting for 1.9% and 1.5% respectively.
Month-on-month, consumer prices rose by 0.6% in September compared to August, driven mainly by higher food prices (+1.3%) and educational services (+3.7%). Poultry, eggs, fresh vegetables and beef led the monthly food increases, while lamb prices dipped slightly. Education costs rose across private secondary, primary and tutoring services, reflecting seasonal back-to-school pressures. Leisure and culture prices also grew modestly by 0.7%, propelled by rising newspaper and cultural book costs.