Antigua and Barbuda has recorded its sharpest decline in inflation since the COVID-19 pandemic, with consumer prices rising by an average of just 1.4 percent between January and August 2025, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced Thursday in the presentation of the 2026 national budget.

Browne said the cooling is especially significant given that inflation surged to nearly 10 percent in 2022 as global supply chains tightened and fuel and food prices spiked. He added that in September 2025 , overall prices actually fell by 1 percent , marking the first month of deflation in years.

According to the Prime Minister, the downward trend reflects stronger global supply conditions, easing freight costs and government interventions aimed at stabilizing household expenses. He pointed to ongoing fuel and electricity subsidies and the government’s suspension of the 42 percent Common External Tariff on selected food imports as key factors restraining price increases.

Browne said these measures are expected to produce “cheaper supermarket prices in the coming weeks,” noting that importers will now land several essential items at a lower cost. He warned retailers not to absorb the duty savings, saying the reductions must reach consumers.

Food and fuel — two of the most pressure-sensitive categories for families — have shown signs of stabilizing in recent months, he said. The government’s partnership with Guyana to import lower-cost staples is also expected to reinforce price relief heading into 2026.

The Prime Minister told Parliament that cost-of-living support programmes will remain in place, including the doubling of the food voucher initiative, continued LPG subsidies and assistance for nearly 7,000 pensioners and more than 1,600 vulnerable households.

Budget debate continues next week.