Nicaragua Inflation Hits 4.33% in October

Nicaragua’s statistics office says consumer prices rose 4.33% in the 12 months to October 2026, well above the 2.66% of a year earlier. Prices rose 0.21% in October alone, against 0.14% in October 2025.

INIDE, the national statistics institute, published the October consumer price index on Tuesday 10 November 2026. It matters to anyone who sends money to, travels to or invests in Nicaragua.

In plain English: INIDE, the National Institute of Information for Development, is Nicaragua’s official statistics body. Inflation here means the change in the consumer price index, the cost of a typical household basket of goods and services.

What Rose and What Fell

Nine of the twelve spending groups became more expensive in October, according to INIDE. Among them were food and non-alcoholic drinks (up 0.56%), miscellaneous goods and services (0.34%), transport (0.22%) and household furnishings (0.17%).

Those four groups together added 0.268 percentage points to the monthly rise. A percentage point is simply the gap between two percentages.

Two groups fell: recreation and culture dropped 1.51% and restaurants and hotels slipped 0.25%. Together they pulled the monthly figure down by 0.075 percentage points, and education prices did not move.

The Year So Far

Prices have risen 3.09% since January, more than double the 1.48% recorded over the same ten months of 2025. Core inflation, which leaves out the most volatile prices, stands at 3.32% over twelve months, up from 2.74% a year earlier.

The headline rate of 4.33% is a full percentage point above the core rate of 3.32%. Core inflation is the steadier of the two measures.

What the Central Bank Expects

The Central Bank of Nicaragua, known as BCN, raised its 2026 inflation forecast in mid-October to a range of 3.5% to 4.5%, from 2.5% to 3.5% in July. It pointed to dearer oil, uncertainty over trade policy and the possible effects on crops of El Niño, a periodic warming of the Pacific that disrupts weather.

Twelve-month inflation of 4.33% sits inside that range but near the top. INIDE’s July note had put the twelve-month rate at 4.0%.

What It Means for You

Readers who send money to relatives in Nicaragua will find that each dollar buys slightly less than a year ago, especially at the supermarket. Travellers should expect higher everyday prices than last year, although the October monthly rise was modest.

Investors in Nicaraguan debt should watch the next monthly readings against the central bank’s forecast range. Our earlier coverage of the credit rating upgrade despite US sanctions explains the wider backdrop.

What Is Not Known

We do not know what lies behind the 0.56% rise in food prices, or whether November prices will ease or keep rising.

For wider context, read our guides to the US tariff on Nicaraguan goods, travel, sanctions and remittances and how power works in Nicaragua.

More: Nicaragua news in English, every day from The Rio Times.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Nicaragua’s inflation rate for October 2026?

Prices were 4.33% higher than a year earlier, according to INIDE. They rose 0.21% during October alone.

How does it compare with last year?

Twelve-month inflation was 2.66% in October 2025, so the rate is higher by 1.67 percentage points. Prices since January are up 3.09%, against 1.48% a year earlier.

What is the central bank’s forecast?

The Central Bank of Nicaragua expects 3.5% to 4.5% inflation for 2026, raised in October from 2.5% to 3.5%. The 4.33% reading falls inside that range.

Sources: INIDE consumer price index release for October 2026, published 10 November 2026 and carried by Nicaraguan media; INIDE July 2026 release (inide.gob.ni/Home/ipc); Central Bank of Nicaragua statement on its 2026 inflation outlook, October 2026.