Inflation in Antigua and Barbuda climbed to 7% in September, continuing a sharp upward trend in consumer prices since early 2026 as households faced higher costs for housing, transportation and communication.
The latest Consumer Price Index report from the National Bureau of Statistics shows year-over-year inflation reached
7% in September, up from 5.5% in August and 4.4% in July
.
The rate has risen substantially since the beginning of the year.
Annual inflation was negative in January and February before turning positive in March at
1.7%
. It increased to
3.1% in April and 4.1% in May
, before easing slightly to
3.7% in June
.
It then resumed its climb, reaching
4.4% in July, 5.5% in August and 7% in September
, according to the inflation trend chart published by the bureau.
The figures mean the headline inflation rate has more than quadrupled from 1.7% in March to 7% six months later.
Although the overall trend has been sharply upward, the increase was
not technically uninterrupted for six straight months
, because inflation eased from 4.1% in May to 3.7% in June. A more precise description is that inflation has risen sharply since March and has increased for the
past three consecutive months
.
The Statistics Division said the September inflation rate was being driven by non-food costs, particularly housing, transportation and communication.
Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels were
12.6% more expensive than a year earlier
, while transport increased
12%
and communication rose
23.1%
.
The increase in transportation costs included a
25.5% jump in transport services
, largely attributed to passenger air transportation, which increased
29.7%
.
The cost of operating personal transport equipment increased 6.1%, with the bureau pointing to gasoline prices rising from
$14.50 to $16.50 per gallon
. Actual housing rentals were also
8.9% higher than a year earlier
.
The upward pressure on the overall inflation rate came despite consumers getting some relief from food prices.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages declined
1% year over year
, while the Food Index fell
1.5%
. Vegetable prices dropped 10.4%, meat and meat products declined 3.8%, and pork recorded a 15.8% decrease compared with September 2025.
The underlying inflation figures also point to broader price pressures outside food and energy.
The All Items Less Food and Energy Index increased
7.5% year over year
, while All Items Less Food rose
8.8%
.
Prices also continued rising in September itself. The overall CPI increased
1.1% between August and September
, even as food and non-alcoholic beverages declined 1.1%.
The September figures represent the highest point shown on the bureau’s year-over-year inflation trend covering September 2025 through September 2026, underscoring the acceleration in the cost of living during recent months.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Antigua and Barbuda Inflation Climbs for Sixth Straight Month to 7%.