Inflation rate in selected world regions in 2026

Inflation by world region in 2026, versus the previous year

Inflation in 2026 is deeply uneven across the world. The Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa face rates near 12 percent, while advanced economies sit near 2.6 percent. The world average is about 4.7 percent, up from 4.1 percent in 2025.

The scale of the gap between the highest and lowest inflation regions, from about 2.6 percent in advanced economies to near 12 percent in the Middle East and Africa, is striking.

On IMF figures, inflation in 2026 runs near 12 percent in the Middle East and Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, about 8 percent in emerging Europe, 5.8 percent in Latin America, 2.9 percent in emerging Asia and 2.6 percent in advanced economies.

The uneven map of world inflation in 2026, high in the emerging world and low in the advanced, reflects the deep and lasting divisions in the global economy.

This overview compares the inflation rate across the main world regions in 2026, from the highest in the Middle East and Africa to the lowest in the advanced economies, and how each changed from 2025.

Understanding how inflation varies across the world, from near target in the rich regions to double digits in the poorest, is central to making sense of the uneven global recovery of the mid-2020s.

This overview compares the inflation rate across the main world regions in 2026 and against the previous year, from the highest in the Middle East and Africa to the lowest in the advanced economies.

The gap between advanced and emerging regions remains very wide, as our developed and emerging inflation and inflation worldwide coverage tracks, with poorer regions facing far higher and more volatile rates.

Middle East highest, advanced lowest: the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa face inflation near 12 percent in 2026, while advanced economies sit near 2.6 percent, with most regions rising from 2025.

Inflation rose in most regions in 2026, driven by higher energy and food prices after conflict in the Middle East, a shock our gas prices and global economy coverage frames across the world economy.

A note on the data. The figures show the inflation rate in selected world regions in 2026, compared to the previous year, as annual percent change in consumer prices, based on IMF regional aggregates. Some regional values are approximate.

The IMF publishes inflation for its main country groups and regions in the World Economic Outlook, which forms the basis for these figures, updated through the year. Regional aggregates are weighted averages across the economies in each group, so a few very large or very high-inflation economies can shift the regional figure significantly.

Inflation Rate by World Region

The table sets out the inflation rate in the main world regions in 2026 and 2025. It shows the very high rates in the Middle East and Africa, the moderate rates in Latin America and emerging Europe, and the low rates in advanced economies and Asia.

Why Is Inflation Higher in Emerging Regions?

The clearest divide in world inflation is between advanced and emerging economies. Advanced economies face about 2.6 percent inflation in 2026, while emerging and developing economies face about 5.9 percent, more than double the rate.

The divide between advanced and emerging economy inflation is the single clearest feature of the global price picture, reflecting deep differences in currencies, incomes and spending. Advanced economy inflation is projected at about 2.6 percent in 2026 against 5.9 percent for emerging and developing economies, a gap of more than three percentage points.

The more than twofold gap between advanced and emerging economy inflation is among the most persistent features of the global price picture in the mid-2020s. The divide between advanced and emerging economy inflation is the deepest fault line in the global price picture, shaping everything from interest rates to living standards across the world.

The more than twofold gap between advanced and emerging inflation reflects structural differences that will not close quickly, even as both groups gradually bring prices down.

The gap reflects weaker currencies, higher food and energy shares in spending, and less firmly anchored expectations in poorer regions, a divide our GDP per capita and BRICS economies coverage frames through the differences in incomes.

Bars emerging, line advanced: emerging economy inflation has run well above advanced economy inflation throughout the period, at about 5.9 percent against 2.6 percent in 2026.

Advanced economy inflation has returned close to the 2 percent target that most central banks aim for, while many emerging regions still face rates well above target, forcing them to keep monetary policy tighter for longer.

The need to keep policy tighter for longer in many emerging regions weighs on their growth, even as advanced economies begin to ease, widening the divide between the two groups.

Which World Region Has the Highest Inflation?

The highest-inflation regions in 2026 are the Middle East and Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, both near 12 percent, followed by emerging and developing Europe near 8 percent. All face pressures far beyond the world average.

The very high inflation of the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa, several times the world average, reflects the toll of conflict, currency weakness and dependence on imported food and energy. The highest regional inflation in 2026 is in the Middle East and Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, both near 12 percent, followed by emerging and developing Europe near 8 percent.

The Middle East, Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa carry the heaviest inflation burden in 2026, a reflection of conflict, currency weakness and dependence on imported essentials. The regions carrying the heaviest inflation burden in 2026, the Middle East and Africa, are also among those least able to bear it, deepening hardship where incomes are lowest.

Inflation near 12 percent in the Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa dwarfs the advanced-economy rate of 2.6 percent, a gap that captures the deep inequality of the global price picture.

Emerging and developing Europe, near 8 percent, sits between the double-digit rates of Africa and the Middle East and the mid-single digits of Latin America, held up by a handful of high-inflation economies.

The high rates in the Middle East reflect the direct effects of conflict on energy and supply, while in Sub-Saharan Africa they reflect high oil and fertilizer prices, fuel shortages and rising borrowing costs, which our richest countries coverage sets against global incomes.

The emerging world leads: the highest inflation in 2026 is in the Middle East and Central Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, both near 12 percent, then emerging Europe near 8 percent.

These regional averages are pulled up by a handful of very high-inflation economies, such as those facing currency crises or conflict, so the typical country in each region often faces a lower rate than the aggregate suggests.

The influence of a few extreme cases on regional averages means the headline figures for the Middle East and Africa overstate the inflation faced by the typical economy in those regions.

How Much Did Regional Inflation Change?

Inflation rose in most world regions between 2025 and 2026. The world average climbed from 4.1 to 4.7 percent, emerging economies from 5.5 to 5.9 percent, and Sub-Saharan Africa saw its median rate jump from about 3.4 to 5 percent.

The renewed rise in inflation across most regions in 2026, after two years of easing, showed how quickly an energy shock can reverse hard-won progress on prices.

World inflation rose from about 4.1 percent in 2025 to 4.7 percent in 2026, emerging economies from 5.5 to 5.9 percent, and Sub-Saharan Africa saw its median rate rise from about 3.4 to 5 percent.

The broad rise in 2026, touching almost every region, was driven by the same global forces of energy and food, even as the scale of the increase varied widely from one region to the next.

The renewed rise in inflation across most regions in 2026 undid part of two years of hard-won progress, a reminder of how exposed the world remains to energy and food shocks. The rise from 2025 to 2026 touched almost every region, though its scale varied, with the world average up 0.6 points and some emerging regions rising faster still.

The renewed rise reflected higher energy and food prices after conflict in the Middle East, a shock our central banks and interest rates coverage tracks as policymakers weighed how to respond across very different regions.

Most regions rose: inflation rose in most world regions between 2025 and 2026, driven by higher energy and food prices, with emerging Europe a notable exception.

A few regions bucked the trend, with inflation easing in emerging Europe as Turkey continued to disinflate from very high rates, showing that the regional picture is shaped by local crises as much as by global forces.

The disinflation in emerging Europe, led by Turkey, stood out against the broader rise, showing that local crises and recoveries can move a whole region against the global tide.

How Has Regional Inflation Moved Since 2020?

Regional inflation has followed the global pattern since 2020, surging in 2022 and then easing, though emerging regions peaked higher and have come down more slowly than advanced ones, keeping the gap between them wide.

The regional pattern of inflation, high in the emerging world and low in the advanced, has held throughout the surge and retreat of prices since 2020. The regional pattern of inflation has been remarkably consistent since 2020, with emerging regions running well above advanced ones throughout the surge, the peak and the retreat.

The peak of 2022, when emerging inflation reached nearly 10 percent and even advanced economies passed 7 percent, remains the reference point against which the easing of recent years is judged.

The producer price shocks of recent years, which our producer price index coverage tracks, fed through to consumer inflation across every region, though with different timing and force depending on energy dependence and demand.

A widening then narrowing gap: the gap between advanced and emerging inflation widened in 2022 and has narrowed since, though it remains wide in 2026.

The renewed rise in 2026, after two years of easing, interrupted the return to target in most regions, a reminder of how exposed the world remains to energy shocks even years after the surge of 2022.

The interruption to the return to target in 2026, after two years of falling inflation, was a reminder that the last stretch back to stable prices is often the hardest.

What Is Driving World Inflation in 2026?

Energy and food are the main drivers of the 2026 rise in world inflation. Higher oil and gas prices, linked to conflict in the Middle East, pushed up costs across every region, hitting poorer ones hardest where food and energy dominate spending.

Energy and food, the two most volatile parts of the consumer basket, are once again the main drivers of the 2026 rise, and they weigh most heavily on the poorest regions. In 2026, higher energy prices added the most to inflation in most regions, followed by food, while services remained the largest steady component in the advanced world.

Energy and food, the most volatile parts of the consumer basket, drive both the swings in world inflation and the differences between regions, since they weigh most on the poorest. The 2026 world inflation rate of about 4.7 percent breaks down into a large services contribution and smaller but volatile energy and food components that drove the increase.

Services inflation, tied to wages and demand, remained the largest single component in advanced regions, while energy and food drove the increase in emerging ones, a split our inflation in Europe coverage details for the advanced world.

Energy and food lead: energy and food drove the 2026 rise in world inflation, with services the largest steady component, adding up to a world rate of about 4.7 percent.

The heavy weight of food and energy in the spending of poorer regions means the 2026 shock fell hardest on those least able to absorb it, widening the gap between rich and poor regions and deepening hardship in the worst-hit economies.

The heavy weight of food and energy in poorer regions means the 2026 shock deepened hardship most where households were already least able to absorb rising prices.

How Do the World Regions Compare?

The world regions compare very differently on inflation. Advanced economies and emerging Asia sit near or below target, Latin America and emerging Europe in the mid-single digits, and the Middle East and Africa in double digits.

The wide differences between world regions on inflation reflect how differently the same global shocks play out depending on energy dependence, currencies and food security.

Regional inflation in 2026 ranges from about 2.6 percent in advanced economies and 2.9 percent in emerging Asia to 5.8 percent in Latin America, 8 percent in emerging Europe and near 12 percent in the Middle East and Africa.

No single figure captures world inflation, which ranges from near target in the advanced world to double digits in the most vulnerable regions of Africa and the Middle East. The four-way split, between low-inflation advanced economies and Asia, mid-single-digit Latin America and Europe, and double-digit Africa and the Middle East, captures the shape of world inflation in 2026.

The four-way split in world inflation, between low, moderate and high-inflation regions, captures the shape of a global economy still divided long after the pandemic and energy shocks. The gap between the calmest and most turbulent regions, from about 2.6 percent to near 12 percent, is among the widest on record and reflects a world economy pulling apart on prices.

These differences reflect energy dependence, currency strength, fiscal policy and food security, a picture our largest economies coverage frames, with the most vulnerable regions facing the highest and most volatile rates.

Four very different pictures: advanced economies and Asia sit near target, Latin America and Europe in the mid-single digits, and the Middle East and Africa in double digits.

The wide spread of regional inflation, from about 2.6 percent in advanced economies to near 12 percent in the Middle East and Africa, is one of the defining features of the uneven global recovery of the mid-2020s.

The persistence of a wide regional gap, from advanced economies near target to the Middle East and Africa in double digits, is a defining feature of the uneven global recovery.

How Do Inflation and Growth Vary by Region?

Inflation and growth vary together across regions. Emerging Asia combines low inflation with fast growth, while Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East face high inflation alongside slower or more volatile growth, a harder combination.

The combination of inflation and growth varies sharply by region, with some facing the double burden of high prices and weak growth while others enjoy low inflation and fast expansion. Emerging and developing Asia stands out for combining low inflation, near 2.9 percent, with the fastest growth of any region, a rare and favourable mix in the current world economy.

The mix of inflation and growth across regions determines how heavily rising prices weigh on households, with the worst combination being high inflation alongside weak growth. Emerging Asia enjoys the best mix of any region, low inflation and fast growth, while conflict-hit parts of Africa and the Middle East face the worst, high prices and weak growth.

The link between high inflation and weaker economic conditions in some regions, especially those hit by conflict or currency crises, is one our China economy and world growth coverage frames across the global picture.

Bubble size shows population: emerging Asia combines low inflation with fast growth, while Africa and the Middle East face high inflation. Position shows inflation against growth.

Where high inflation coincides with weak growth, as in parts of Africa and the Middle East, households face the hardest squeeze, with rising prices and stagnant incomes eroding living standards fastest. The regions facing both high inflation and weak growth, especially those hit by conflict, endure the hardest squeeze, with rising prices and stagnant incomes eroding living standards.

Will Regional Inflation Come Down?

World inflation is projected to ease again after 2026, falling toward the 2 percent target in advanced economies and slowly declining in emerging ones, though the gap between regions is likely to persist. The outlook for regional inflation, easing but uneven, will shape living standards and stability across a world economy divided between rich and poor regions.

World inflation is projected to ease from about 4.7 percent in 2026 to 3.9 percent in 2027, with advanced economies returning to target while emerging regions decline more slowly. The central expectation is a gradual and uneven return toward lower inflation, with the advanced world leading and the most exposed regions lagging well behind.

The outlook for regional inflation, easing but uneven, will shape the fortunes of billions of people across a world economy divided between rich and poor regions. Even as world inflation eases toward 3.3 percent by 2029 on IMF projections, the distance between the advanced world and the most exposed regions is expected to remain stubbornly wide.

The outlook depends heavily on energy prices and the course of conflict in the Middle East, with a prolonged shock able to keep inflation high in the most exposed regions for longer than the current forecasts assume across the world economy.

Easing but uneven: world inflation is projected to ease from about 4.7 percent in 2026 to 3.9 percent in 2027, with advanced economies leading the return to target.

Emerging regions are likely to keep inflation above the advanced-economy average for some time, as weaker currencies and higher food and energy shares keep their rates elevated, leaving the wide regional gap a lasting feature.

Regional Inflation in Numbers

A few figures capture the picture. World inflation is about 4.7 percent in 2026, with advanced economies near 2.6 percent, emerging economies near 5.9 percent, and the Middle East and Africa near 12 percent, the highest of any region.

These figures together capture a world where inflation has eased from its peak but remains deeply uneven, with the poorest regions facing the heaviest burden. These figures matter because they show a world still divided on inflation, with the burden of high prices falling most heavily on the regions least able to bear it.

These figures together capture a world where inflation has come down from its peak but remains deeply unequal, with the poorest regions facing the heaviest burden of rising prices.

These figures matter because inflation shapes living standards, interest rates and stability across very different regions, a picture our global inflation coverage sets alongside the wider world.

The full ranking: regional inflation in 2026 ranges from near 12 percent in the Middle East and Africa to about 2.6 percent in advanced economies.

Together they describe a world where inflation has eased from its 2022 peak but remains deeply uneven, with the poorest regions facing rates several times higher than the richest. For now, world inflation stands above target in most regions but well below the extremes of 2022, with a very wide gap between the richest and poorest parts of the world.

World Regional Inflation: The Big Picture

Taken together, inflation across the world regions in 2026 shows a deeply uneven picture, with advanced economies near target but the Middle East and Africa facing double-digit rates, and most regions seeing inflation rise again on energy and food.

The picture in 2026 is of a world past the worst of the inflation crisis but still far from an even return to stable prices, with the poorest regions carrying the heaviest load.

A world divided: the richest regions face inflation near target while the poorest face double digits, on an indexed comparison across the main drivers.

Whether inflation returns evenly to target will depend on energy prices and the fortunes of the most exposed regions, but for now the world faces a wide and persistent gap between the low inflation of the rich regions and the high rates of the poor, as our cost of living coverage continues.

Frequently Asked Questions: Regional Inflation