Hong Kong Inflation Rate Hits 9-Month High
2026-03-20 09:00
By
Kyrie Dichosa
1 min. read
The annual inflation rate in Hong Kong rose to 1.7% in February 2026, picking up from 1.1% in January, marking the highest reading since late May.
The acceleration was mainly driven by higher costs for food and non-alcoholic beverages (0.6% vs -0.3% in January), transport (4.4% vs 1.3%), and recreation, sport, and culture (7.7% vs -1.2%).
Prices also rose faster for furnishings, household equipment and maintenance (0.9% vs 0.5%) and health (10.7% vs 10.5%).
Conversely, inflation eased for alcoholic beverages and tobacco (1.8% vs 2.7%) and personal care, social protection, and miscellaneous goods and services (1.2% vs 1.9%), while it declined for clothing and footwear (-3.4% vs -2.3%).
On a monthly basis, the CPI grew by 0.5%, up from 0.2% in January.
Excluding the government’s one-off relief measures, underlying inflation rose by 1.6%, following a 1% gain in January.