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 from 1.1% in January, marking the highest reading since late May.
Prices rose faster for miscellaneous services (4.9% vs 2.9%), transport (4.3% vs 1.3%) and electricity, gas and water (3.5% vs 3%).
On the other hand, inflation slowed for miscellaneous goods (1.8% vs 2.3%) and alcoholic drinks and tobacco (1.8% vs 2.7%) and steadied for housing (1.1% vs 1.1%).
Prices continued to fall for clothing and footwear (-3.4% vs -2.3%) and durable goods (-2.6% vs -2.8%).
The larger increase was mainly due to charges for package tours and inbound and outbound transport fares during the Chinese New Year, coupled with the fact that the Chinese New Year fell in January last year, resulting in a relatively lower base of comparison in February 2025.
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.