Nigeria’s headline inflation dropped slightly in June 2025 to 22.22%, offering a bit of relief after May’s figure of 22.97%. The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shared this in its latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released on Wednesday.
Compared to June 2024, when inflation hit a painful 34.19%, the latest numbers show a significant drop of 11.97 percentage points. However, before Nigerians breathe a sigh of relief, there’s more to the story.
Prices Still Rising — Just Not as Fast
Although annual inflation is easing, the month-on-month inflation actually increased — from 1.53% in May to 1.68% in June. This means that while things aren’t getting expensive as fast as before on a yearly basis, prices are still climbing every month — and that’s what Nigerians feel most directly.
According to the NBS, the CPI (used to track inflation) rose from 121.4 in May to 123.4 in June, driven mainly by hikes in food, transport, and housing.
Food Prices Still a Major Burden
Food inflation year-on-year dropped to 21.97% in June — a sharp fall from the 40.87% seen in June 2024. But again, it’s a double-edged sword. On a month-to-month basis, food inflation jumped from 2.19% in May to 3.25% in June.
Why? The prices of everyday items like tomatoes, pepper, dried green peas, crayfish, shrimps, meat, plantain flour, and ground pepper all went up. And this is what continues to hit households hard.
The average food inflation over the past year was 28.28%, showing just how long Nigerians have been grappling with rising food costs.
Core Inflation Also Ticked Up Monthly
Core inflation, which excludes food and energy, also dropped year-on-year to 22.76%, down from 27.4% last year. But again, on a month-to-month basis, it rose from 1.10% in May to 2.46% in June — showing new pressure on essentials like clothing, housing, education, and healthcare.
Urban vs. Rural Divide
Urban inflation dropped year-on-year to 22.72%, while rural inflation stood at 20.85%. But in cities, prices rose faster month-to-month (2.11%) than in rural areas (0.63%), confirming that life is getting more expensive quicker in urban centres.
Where Inflation Hit Hardest
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Borno saw the highest all-items inflation (31.63%), followed by Abuja (26.79%) and Benue (25.91%).
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The least impacted were Zamfara (9.90%), Yobe (13.51%), and Sokoto (15.78%).
When it comes to food:
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Borno again led with 47.40% food inflation, while Ebonyi and Bayelsa followed closely.
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Katsina, Adamawa, and Sokoto saw the lowest food inflation rates.
For monthly food price hikes, Enugu, Kwara, and Rivers led the surge, while Borno, Sokoto, and Bayelsa actually recorded drops.
Cost-of-Living Pressures Persist
Despite the drop in yearly inflation rates, the consistent month-to-month rise in prices — especially for food and basic services — continues to squeeze Nigerian households.
The biggest contributors to inflation remain:
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Food and non-alcoholic drinks
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Restaurants and hospitality services
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Transportation
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Electricity and cooking fuels
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Housing and clothing
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Education and health
Bottom Line
Yes, inflation on paper is slowing. But in reality, Nigerians are still dealing with sharp price increases — especially month to month. The burden of everyday costs remains heavy, and unless monthly inflation starts falling too, the average Nigerian is unlikely to feel any real relief soon.
