ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, April 17, 2026 — The Statistics Division, under the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance, has released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for March 2026, showing overall inflation of 1.7% on a year-on-year basis, even as food prices continued to fall.

The All-Items Less Food and Energy index rose 2.5% over the twelve months ending March 2026, while the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages index declined 1.4% over the same period.

Looking at the food breakdown, the Food Index fell 1.8% year-on-year. Fruit prices dropped sharply, with the Fruit Index down 18.6%, driven largely by a 25.2% decline in Fresh or Chilled Fruit. Meat and Meat Products also fell 7.9%, with notable decreases in Delicatessen and other Meat Preparations (-13.5%), Pork (-13.3%), and Poultry (-12.6%). The Bread and Cereals index declined 2.1%, with mixed results across its five subcategories. The Non-Alcoholic Beverage Index, however, bucked the trend, rising 1.9%.

The 2.5% increase in the All-Items Less Food and Energy index was driven primarily by a sharp 47.6% rise in the Transport Services Index, attributed to higher regional and international airfare costs. Education (+13.3%), Recreation and Culture (+5.7%), and Restaurants and Hotels (+4.9%) also recorded notable increases over the year.

On a month-to-month basis, the overall CPI rose 0.8% in March 2026, after remaining unchanged in February. Increases in Transport Services and Actual Rent for Housing were the principal drivers.

The Food Index fell 1.5% in March, reversing a 0.4% increase recorded in February. The Fruit Index dropped 8.1%, with Fresh or Chilled Fruit falling 8.2% and Frozen, Preserved or Processed Fruit and Fruit-based Products declining 7.7%. Fish and Seafood fell 5.4%, with Fresh, Chilled or Frozen Fish and Seafood down 10.3% and Preserved or Processed Fish and Seafood down 3.3%. Other notable monthly declines included Meat and Meat Products (-4.0%), Bread and Cereals (-2.1%), and Food Products N.E.C. (-1.9%).

Non-Alcoholic Beverages rose 4.8% in March, influenced by increases in Coffee, Tea and Cocoa (+13.4%), Soft Drinks (+6.9%), and Fruit and Vegetable Juices (+2.7%).

The All-Items Less Food and Energy index rose 1.3% month-on-month in March, up from a marginal 0.2% increase in February. Actual Rent for Housing climbed 6.2% using a composite index, while Transport Services rose 1.2%, reflecting a 1.4% increase in average airline fares.

The CPI measures changes in prices of goods and services purchased by households, with prices collected monthly and quarterly from supermarkets and other suppliers. Spending patterns used to calculate the index are derived from the Household Budget Survey, with weights based on 2006 expenditure patterns. The full CPI report for March 2026 is available on the National Bureau of Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.ag.