In July, headline inflation decreased to 3.4 percent, from 3.5 percent in June. According to the latest data from Statistics Botswana, inflation decreased for: alcoholic beverages and tobacco (from 5.1 to 4.9 percent) and transport (from 1.5 to 1.4 percent). However, this was partly offset by inflation increasing with respect to: clothing and footwear (2.8 percent to 3 percent); housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (from 6 to 6.3 percent); furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance (from 3.4 to 3.5 percent); health (from 1.9 to 2 percent); recreation and culture (from 2.5 to 2.6 percent); education (4.1 percent to 4.2 percent); and restaurants and hotels (3.7 percent to 4 percent). Meanwhile, inflation remained unchanged for food and non-alcoholic beverages (4.3 percent); communication (0.3 percent); and miscellaneous goods and services (2.7 percent).

The trimmed mean measure of core inflation and inflation excluding administered prices were unchanged from the June figures of 2.9 percent and 3.3 percent, respectively.