El Salvador Inflation Picks Up in August

Annual inflation in El Salvador accelerated to 3.19% in August 2026 from 2.49% in July, the highest reading since July 2023. Price growth accelerated for food and non-alcoholic beverages (3.65% vs 2.49%), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (2.62% vs 2.11%), health (0.54% vs 0.39%), transport (2.91% vs 2.57%), communications (8.23% vs 4.95%), and miscellaneous goods and services (2.14% vs 1.96%). Clothing and footwear inflation increased to 2.62% from 2.11%. Meanwhile, inflation moderated for education (3.30% vs 3.65%). Deflation was recorded in housing and utilities (-0.32% vs 0.05%), and recreation and culture (-0.91% vs -0.90%). Inflation for furniture and household goods remained unchanged at 1.90%, while restaurant and hotel prices were unchanged at a flat inflation reading.

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.