Headline inflation remained at 2.8 percent in May, unchanged from April. According to the latest data from Statistics Botswana, inflation increased for: transport (from -3.2 to -3.1 percent); and miscellaneous goods and services (from 7.6 to 7.7 percent). However, this was offset by lower inflation for: alcoholic beverages and tobacco (from 2.1 to 2.0 percent); clothing and footwear (from 7.3 to 7.1 percent); furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance (from 3.1 to 3.0 percent); health (from 3.6 to 3.2 percent); communication (from 0.5 to zero percent); and recreation and culture (from 2.0 to 1.8 percent). Inflation was unchanged for: food and non-alcoholic beverages (2.7 percent); housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (6.6 percent); education (3.8 percent); and restaurants and hotels (4.3 percent).

The trimmed mean measures of core inflation and inflation excluding administered prices decreased from 2.4 to 2.3 percent and 3.9 to 3.8 percent, respectively.