People stand in front of a foreign exchange office in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 10, 2023. (Xinhua/Ahmed Gomaa)
CAIRO, July 10 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's annual inflation rate rose to an all-time high of 36.8 percent in June, up from 14.7 percent in the same month a year earlier, the country's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) announced on Monday.
According to a statement by CAPMAS, food and drink prices registered a 64.9 percent increase compared to June 2022.
Among the factors that pushed up the record year-on-year rise, the most notable are increases in restaurants, alcohol and cigarette, furniture and appliances, according to the statement.
A peddler is seen at the Khan el-Khalili market at night in Cairo, Egypt, July 8, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)
Urban inflation rate registered a month-on-month increase of 2 percent in June, the statement added.
The previous annual record rise of 34.2 percent was recorded in July 2017, which followed a sharp currency devaluation associated with securing a loan from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The Egyptian pound has lost half its value against the U.S. dollar since March 2022. The devaluation of the currency has led to a foreign currency shortage and delays in import delivery.
The country's economic crisis has been worsened by the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian conflict that has destabilized the food supply chains.
In December 2022, Egypt secured a 3-billion-dollar financial support package from the IMF to support its economic and structural reforms.
People visit the Khan el-Khalili market at night in Cairo, Egypt, July 8, 2023. Located at the heart of Cairo's old Islamic district, Khan el-Khalili is one of the most famed tourist bazaars in the Egyptian capital. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)■
