Burkina Faso's consumer prices rose 3.6% over the year to September 2026, up from 3.0% in August, the regional central bank BCEAO said in its monthly statistical bulletin. That was the highest rate among the eight members of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), whose average was 1.9%. A year earlier, prices had fallen 3.9%.
Analysis: Part of the rise is a base effect, because prices fell 3.9% over the year to September 2025, so over two years they are roughly flat, by our calculation. Still, the rate has risen for three months in a row and is now 0.6 points above the top of the BCEAO's 1% to 3% target range. Imported food is a likely pressure, as world prices of WAEMU's main food imports were 29.1% higher than a year earlier, the BCEAO said. The BCEAO's monetary policy committee, which sets rates for all eight members, usually holds its last meeting of the year in early December.
Source: BCEAO, BCEAO, Bulletin mensuel des statistiques – Septembre 2026 (posted November 6, 2026), September 2026; International Monetary Fund, IMF press release No. 26/351 (November 4, 2026), staff-level agreement on sixth ECF review and second RSF review, 2026