Attachments
KEY FINDINGS
• Despite the decline in the food MEB¹ between September and December 2025, the NFI MEB increased, driven largely by education and water-related costs, indicating a gradual shift in expenditure pressure beyond food.
• Overall, findings indicate structural supply resilience such as stable stock levels, multiple suppliers, and generally good market access. However, a majority (80%) of vendors reported facing various challenges, including a lack of funds and rising supplier prices.
• While most commodities were physically available, household (HH) purchasing power emerged as the primary barrier to market access across assessed counties. More than half of vendors (56%) reported financial challenges affecting customers, reinforcing previous quarter findings that economic access rather than physical availability is the dominant constraint limiting HH access to essential goods.
• Out of the 40 markets assessed, 20% were classified as fully functional, 50% as having limited functionality, and 28% as having poor functionality. This highlights ongoing challenges in market operations and underscores the dynamic nature of market functionality across the assessed counties.