BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Brunei Darussalam’s consumer price index (CPI) increased by 0.02 per cent in July 2026 compared to July 2025, according to the Department of Economic Planning and Statistics in a release.
This marginal increase was driven by a 1.2-per-cent increase in the food and non-alcoholic beverages index. Meanwhile, the non-food index decreased by 0.3 per cent.
The increase in the food and non-alcoholic beverages index was driven by an increase in the prices of meat (4.4 per cent), specifically fresh chicken; fruits (2.7 per cent), such as limes and grapes; fish and seafood (1.6 per cent), particularly prawns and other seafood; and coffee, tea and cocoa drinks (5.8 per cent).
As for the non-food index, decreases were recorded in the prices of communication (3.5 per cent), particularly internet service packages; clothing and footwear (3.8 per cent); and miscellaneous goods and services (1.0 per cent), due to lower vehicle insurance premiums.
On a month-on-month basis, the CPI in July 2026 decreased by 0.2 per cent compared to June 2026, due to decreases in non-food index and food and non-alcoholic beverages index by 0.2 per cent and 0.1 per cent.
The decrease in the food and non-alcoholic beverages index was attributed to prices of vegetables (3.3 per cent); milk, dairy products and eggs (0.6 per cent); and oil and fats (0.7 per cent). Meanwhile, the non-food index declined primarily due to prices of clothing and footwear (4.4 per cent); miscellaneous goods and services (0.4 per cent); and furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance (0.2 per cent).
The CPI is a measure of price changes of a fixed basket of goods and services purchased by consumers in a specified period and compiled on a monthly basis. The list of goods and services in the CPI is based on the average expenditure per household from the Household Expenditure Survey.
The CPI full report for July 2026 is available from DEPS’s website at https://www.deps.gov.bn/. - Borneo Bulletin/ANN
