El Salvador Inflation Nears 3-Year High

Annual inflation in El Salvador accelerated to 2.77% in June 2026 from 2.53% in May, marking the fastest pace since September 2023. Inflation accelerated for food and non-alcoholic beverages (3.0% vs 2.9% in May), housing and utilities (2.0% vs 1.1%), recreation and culture (3.9% vs 1.8%), restaurants and hotels (4.7% vs 4.4%), and clothing and footwear (0.12% vs 0.03%). Meanwhile, inflation moderated for transport (5.8% vs 6.4%), healthcare (2.4% vs 2.8%), miscellaneous goods and services (1.5% vs 1.8%), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (2.2% vs 2.4%), and furniture and household goods (0.3% vs 0.4%), while education inflation remained steady at 0.5%. Additionally, communication costs fell at a slower pace (-0.8% vs -0.9%). On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.55%, following a 0.47% rise in the previous month.

Consumer prices in El Salvador rose 2.5% year-over-year in May 2026, the highest reading since October 2023, up from 2.2% in April. Inflation picked up for transport (6.4% vs 3.3%), recreation and culture (1.8% vs 1.1%), healthcare (2.8% vs 2.7%), housing and utilities (1.1% vs 1.1%), restaurants and hotels (4.4% vs 4.2%), and miscellaneous goods and services (1.8% vs 1.6%). Meanwhile, food and non-alcoholic beverages inflation eased slightly (2.9% vs 3.0%), as did prices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco (2.4% vs 2.5%). Communication costs fell at a faster pace (-0.9% vs -0.7%), while education inflation was unchanged at 0.5%. Clothing and footwear prices rebounded by 0.03% after falling 0.05% in April, and furniture and household goods prices increased 0.4% following a 0.02% decline in the previous month.

Consumer prices in El Salvador rose 2.2% year-over-year in April 2026, the highest reading since October 2023, accelerating from 1.47% in March. Prices increased at a faster pace for food and non-alcoholic beverages (3.0% vs 2.7%), housing and utilities (1.1% vs 0.7%), healthcare (2.6% vs 2.5%), and recreation and culture (1.1% vs 0.0%). Transport prices rebounded by 3.3% after a 0.9% decline in March, while deflation for clothing and footwear eased slightly (-0.05% vs -0.2%). In contrast, prices for communication services fell further (-0.7% vs -0.3%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.7% in April, following a 0.4% increase in the previous month.