Fiji’s year-on-year inflation rate climbed to 6.8 per cent in September 2026, despite a decline in prices of several essential household items during the month.
According to the Fiji Bureau of Statistics’ Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for September, prices were 6.8 per cent higher compared to the same month last year.
However, the average annual inflation rate for the 12 months ending September 2026 stood at 1.9 per cent.
The report also revealed that the All Items Consumer Price Index declined by 0.4 per cent from 118.1 in August to 117.6 in September.
The monthly decline was driven by lower prices for food, cooking gas, clothing and several household goods.
Food and non-alcoholic beverage prices fell by 1.2 per cent, with reductions recorded for meat, fish and seafood, cooking oils and fats, vegetables and non-alcoholic beverages.
The housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels category recorded the largest monthly decline of 1.8 per cent, mainly due to lower gas prices.
Clothing and footwear prices decreased by 0.8 per cent, while furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance fell by 0.4 per cent.
However, price increases were recorded in several other categories.
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics recorded the highest monthly increase of 1.1 per cent, driven by higher prices for spirits, beer, tobacco and yaqona.
Health-related costs increased by 0.9 per cent due to higher pharmaceutical prices, while transport costs rose by 0.4 per cent following increases in fuel and lubricant prices.
Communication costs also increased by 0.3 per cent, reflecting higher prices for telephone equipment.
Meanwhile, prices in the education and restaurants and hotels categories remained unchanged during September.
The Bureau explained that Fiji uses two measures of inflation: the average annual rate, which compares average prices over two consecutive 12-month periods, and the year-on-year rate, which compares prices in the current month with the same month of the previous year.
The latest figures indicate that while consumers experienced some relief from falling prices in September, the overall cost of goods and services remained significantly higher than a year earlier.
