MAURITIUS · ECONOMY
Key Facts
- The country Mauritius is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, off the east coast of Africa.
- What happened Annual inflation reached 6.4% in October 2026, up from 5.7% in September.
- The driver Transport prices rose 3.8% in one month and 11.4% over the year.
- What is next The central bank, which sets the rate it charges banks, decides on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
Prices in Mauritius rose 6.4% in the year to October 2026, the fastest pace since June 2023, according to the island’s national statistics office. The jump is worth watching for US travellers and for investors with exposure to the island economy.
Statistics Mauritius, the government statistics office, published the October figures on Tuesday 10 November 2026. The consumer price index (CPI), a basket of what households buy, rose from 114.1 in September to 114.8 in October.
What Happened
Statistics Mauritius reports that the year-on-year inflation rate stood at 6.4% in October, after 5.7% in September and 4.9% in August. A year earlier, in October 2025, the annual rate was 4.1%.
Prices rose 0.6% from September to October alone. The 12-month average rate, which smooths out sharp moves, edged up to 4.3% from 4.1% in September.
The office’s table of annual rates shows no reading as high since June 2023, when it was 7.9%. In between, the annual rate never rose above 6.2%.
Where Prices Rose Fastest
Transport prices rose fastest. The transport index gained 3.8% in a single month and stands 11.4% above its level of October 2025.
Housing, water, electricity and gas costs were 8.9% higher than a year ago. Restaurants and accommodation services were up 9.4% over the year.
Food and non-alcoholic drinks were 6.1% higher than a year earlier, but they slipped 0.2% from September. Communication costs were the only major group that fell over the year, down 1.2%.
The Central Bank Decides Next
The Bank of Mauritius, the island’s central bank, raised its key rate, the rate at which it lends to banks, by 0.25 percentage points to 4.75% on 20 May 2026. It left the rate unchanged on 12 August 2026.
Its monetary policy committee, the panel that votes on the rate, meets again on Wednesday 11 November 2026, one day after the new inflation figures. Statistics Mauritius labels the 12-month average, 4.3% in October, as its headline rate, while the 6.4% compares October with the same month a year earlier.
What It Means for You
The index tracks what Mauritian households pay, so it is not a tourist price index. Still, residents now pay 9.4% more than a year ago at restaurants and accommodation services.
If you hold investments with exposure to Mauritius, the central bank’s decision on Wednesday is the next signal to watch. Annual inflation has now risen for four months in a row, from 3.7% in June.
Our guide to the Mauritius economy and its key players explains the sectors behind these numbers. Our earlier report on September’s 5.7% reading shows how quickly the pace has climbed.
What Is Not Known
The headline index shows which price groups moved, but we have not broken the transport jump down into fuel, vehicles and fares. It is also not known whether prices will keep rising in coming months.
The central bank’s decision on 11 November is not yet public. The next inflation reading, for November, has not yet been released.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What Is Mauritius’s Inflation Rate for October 2026?
Statistics Mauritius puts annual inflation at 6.4% for October 2026. That compares with 5.7% in September and 4.1% in October 2025.
What Pushed Mauritian Prices Up in October?
The transport group rose 3.8% in one month and 11.4% over the year. Housing costs and restaurant and hotel prices also rose by 8.9% and 9.4% over the year.
When Does the Bank of Mauritius Decide on Rates?
The monetary policy committee meets on Wednesday 11 November 2026. The key rate has stood at 4.75% since May.
Why Are There Two Inflation Numbers, 6.4% and 4.3%?
The 6.4% compares October 2026 with October 2025. The 4.3% is the average of the last 12 months, which Statistics Mauritius labels the headline rate.
Sources: Statistics Mauritius, Consumer Price Index, historical series (October 2026 release), 10 November 2026; Bank of Mauritius, minutes of the 79th Monetary Policy Committee meeting, 12 August 2026; Bank of Mauritius, minutes of the 78th meeting, 20 May 2026; Bank of Mauritius, upcoming events, 10 November 2026.
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