The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has released its Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for May 2025, highlighting the top 10 most inflation-impacted states in Nigeria.
The ranking is based on the year-on-year (YoY) change in all-items inflation, which reflects the general cost of living in each state.
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate eased to 22.97% in May 2025, down from 23.71% in April, according to the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
This represents a 0.74 percentage point decrease on a year-on-year basis and a notable 10.98 percentage point drop compared to May 2024, when the inflation rate stood at 33.95%.
On a month-on-month basis, inflation also declined to 1.53% in May, compared to 1.86% recorded in April, signalling a moderation in the pace of rising consumer prices.
Food inflation, a key driver of household spending pressures, remained elevated at 21.14% year-on-year, though this marks a sharp decline from 40.66% recorded in May 2024. The slowdown is partly attributed to the statistical base effect following the CPI rebasing to the 2024 base year.
On a month-on-month basis, food inflation rose to 2.19%, up from 2.06% in April, indicating fresh price increases in items like yam, cassava, maize flour, sweet potatoes, fresh pepper, and Ogbono.
This rise suggests that while year-on-year inflation is moderating due to base year changes, Nigerians are still grappling with real-time price hikes in staple foods.
Food inflation remains the most significant pressure point, particularly in the northern states where insecurity, weak supply chains, and climate disruptions persist.
Here’s a breakdown of the top 10 states with the highest cost of living in May 2025:
Benue recorded an all-item inflation rate of 25.9% year-on-year and 3.1% month-on-month. Food inflation stood at 22.0% YoY, while food prices rose by 4.1% MoM.
The state’s inflation trend appears to be driven by food-related costs, which have climbed steadily. As a key food-producing region, disruptions to farm activities seemed to be contributing factors.
Edo posted a year-on-year all-item inflation rate of 26.0%, with a notable 2.9% decline in MoM inflation, the sharpest monthly drop among the top 10. However, food inflation remained a concern, rising 4.3% MoM and 19.4% YoY. This indicates that the decline in headline inflation may be linked to falling prices in non-food categories such as transportation or energy, even as food costs continue to rise.
Cross River reported 26.1% headline inflation YoY and 4.3% MoM, while food inflation stood at 27.3% YoY and 11.1% MoM, the highest monthly food inflation in the country.
The sharp rise in food prices suggests possible supply disruptions or market volatility. Speculative pricing and transport inefficiencies likely worsened food accessibility in May.
Taraba posted 26.5% headline inflation YoY and 4.2% MoM, with food inflation climbing to 38.6% YoY and 5.4% MoM.
Taraba posted 26.5% headline inflation YoY and 4.2% MoM, with food inflation climbing to 38.6% YoY and 5.4% MoM.
The state’s food inflation is one of the highest nationally, hinting at pressure from agricultural supply constraints, which are raising the cost of fresh produce and staples.
Nasarawa recorded 27.4% inflation YoY and 2.5% MoM, while food inflation was 25.3% YoY and just 0.2% MoM. This modest monthly food inflation suggests temporary price stability in food items, though the year-on-year figure indicates longer-term cost pressures, possibly from energy, rent, or transportation categories.
Oyo’s headline inflation rose to 28.9% YoY, though the state saw a 0.8% MoM decline. Food inflation stood at 19.1% YoY and -0.1% MoM, showing mild deflationary pressure. The state’s inflation may be easing due to improved access to food or subsidies in transportation, though the general cost of goods and services remains elevated.
The Federal Capital Territory recorded 31.1% inflation YoY and a slight -0.1% MoM drop. Food inflation stood at 26.7% YoY, with a significant 6.4% MoM rise. This indicates that while general prices were relatively stable in May, sharp increases in food costs—possibly due to Abuja’s heavy reliance on supplies from neighbouring states—kept the pressure on consumers.
Plateau recorded 32.3% headline inflation YoY and 0.4% MoM. Food inflation stood at 18.6% YoY, with a 1.7% MoM decline, making it one of the few states with month-on-month food deflation.
However, the high headline inflation suggests non-food components—such as health, education, and transport—are major drivers of rising living costs in the state.
Niger recorded 35.0% inflation YoY and 3.5% MoM, with food inflation at 30.3% YoY and 0.2% MoM. Despite food prices staying mostly flat in May, the annual rise reflects long-term structural issues. Fuel costs, transportation, and insecurity likely continue to disrupt internal markets and food movement.
Borno remains the most expensive state to live in as of May 2025, with the highest all-item inflation rate of 38.9% YoY and 4.4% MoM. Food inflation surged to 64.4% YoY, with monthly food inflation rising 8.0%, the second highest in Nigeria.
Ongoing insecurity, displacement of farming communities, and logistics bottlenecks are pushing prices sharply upward. The state’s inflation profile reflects deep economic vulnerabilities, especially in food access.