CAIRO - Egypt's central bank kept its overnight ​interest rates ⁠unchanged on Thursday, saying the decision reflected ‌its assessment of current and expected inflation dynamics "amid an ​unfavorable external environment". 

The monetary policy committee held the ​deposit rate at ​19% and the lending rate at 20%.

* Egypt's real GDP growth moderated to ⁠5% in Q1 2026 from 5.3% in Q4 2025, with further slowing expected in the second quarter due to the ongoing regional ​conflict, ‌the CBE added.

* ⁠The decision ⁠is aligned with a Reuters poll published on Monday ​that predicted the bank ‌would keep overnight interest rates on ⁠hold as fears of rising inflation continue due to the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.

* Egypt's annual urban consumer price inflation unexpectedly slowed to 14.9% in April from 15.2% the month before. This is still way above the central bank's 5% to 9% ‌inflation target by the last quarter of 2026.

* ⁠Egypt's core inflation, which ​strips out volatile items such as food and fuel, decreased to 13.8% on an annual ​basis in April ‌from 14% in March.

(Reporting by ⁠Yomna Ehab and ​Muhammed Al Gebaly; Editing by Aurora Ellis)