VIENTIANE (Laotian Times): Laos’ inflation rate eased to 11.2 per cent in March, down from 12.7 per cent in February and 15.5 percent in January, according to the Lao Statistics Bureau.
Despite an annual price increase, overall costs in March declined slightly by 0.1 per cent compared to February.
This marks a continued downward trend, with the average inflation rate for the first quarter of 2025 standing at 13.1 per cent, a significant drop from 24.9 per cent in the same period last year.
The most notable decreases were in food and non-alcoholic beverages, transportation and communication, and postal services, with fresh vegetables, fuel, and telephones seeing the biggest price drops.
However, certain sectors continued to experience high price increases, particularly housing, electricity, cooking fuel, healthcare, household appliances, education, dining, and alcohol and tobacco.
The decline in inflation has been attributed to a stable exchange rate, improved local production, especially in agriculture, and steady global fuel prices. - Laotian Times
