BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei Darussalam’s Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.1 per cent in April 2026 compared to the same month last year, mainly driven by higher food prices, according to the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics (DEPS) under the Ministry of Finance and Economy.
DEPS stated that the increase was largely attributed to a 0.8 per cent rise in the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages index, while the Non-Food index recorded a decline of 0.1 per cent.
Among the main contributors to the increase in food prices were Meat, which rose 2.4 per cent due mainly to higher prices of fresh chicken, Fish and Seafood which increased 2.9 per cent, particularly fresh fish and prawns, as well as Coffee, Tea and Cocoa which climbed 5.5 per cent.
Meanwhile, the decline in the Non-Food index was mainly due to lower prices in Communication, down 3.4 per cent, particularly internet service packages, Recreation and Culture which fell 1.2 per cent due to lower online media streaming subscription costs, and Miscellaneous Goods and Services which slipped 0.5 per cent, mainly from lower vehicle insurance prices.
On a month-on-month basis, the CPI in April increased 0.5 per cent from March 2026, driven mainly by a 0.7 per cent rise in the Non-Food index, while the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages index declined 0.1 per cent.
The increase in the Non-Food index was attributed to higher prices in Clothing and Footwear, which rose 9.8 per cent, Transport which increased 0.7 per cent, and Recreation and Culture which edged up 0.5 per cent.
At the same time, the decline in the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages index was mainly due to lower prices of Vegetables, down 3.7 per cent, Fish and Seafood which fell 1.1 per cent, and Oil and Fats which decreased 0.4 per cent.
DEPS said the CPI measures price changes of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by consumers over a specified period and is compiled monthly based on average household expenditure patterns from the Household Expenditure Survey. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
