Philippines Inflation Slightly Eases in August

2026-09-04 01:18 By Kyrie Dichosa 1 min. read

The annual inflation rate in the Philippines eased to 6.1% in August 2026 from 6.2% in July, but came above expectations of 6%.

Food and non-alcoholic beverage inflation slowed to 4.6% from 5.2% in July, mainly due to a decline in the prices of vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses.

Inflation for housing and utilities also moderated to 7.9% from 8.2%.

On the other hand, transport inflation rose to 13.5% from 11.9%, reflecting renewed fuel price increases in the second half of August.

Price growth also increased for alcoholic beverages and tobacco (6.3% vs. 6%), furnishings and household equipment (4.1% vs. 3.9%), and health (5% vs. 4.8%).

On a monthly basis, consumer prices jumped 0.6%, the most since April, following a 0.1% gain in July and exceeding expectations of a 0.5% rise.

Meanwhile, core inflation eased to 4.1% from 4.2%, in line with forecasts.

Average inflation stood at 5.2% from January to August, remaining above the government’s 2%-4% target range.



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