New forecasts from the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) show that food inflation will vary significantly across 160 countries in 2026, ranging from double-digit increases in some economies to actual price declines in others.
The strongest inflationary pressures, i.e. the largest increase in food costs, are expected to be in developing economies and import-dependent countries.
The dynamics of food inflation are influenced by currency fluctuations, global commodity prices, trade disruptions and domestic supply conditions. Countries facing currency depreciation or prolonged economic instability tend to experience sharper food price increases.
Leading the ranking was Iran, where food prices are projected to increase by 55.9% on an annualized basis. The weakening of the national currency and prolonged inflationary pressures have already led to extremely high food inflation in the country in recent years. The forecast for 2026 points to a continuation of these trends.
Several sub-Saharan African countries – Nigeria (17.1%), Angola (14.8%), Zambia (10.8%) and Ethiopia (10.1%) – are also among the highest performers. In many of them, rising food prices are closely linked to currency volatility, import dependence and supply-side failures.
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