Philippines inflation rate eased to 6.8 % in May 2026 from 7.2 % in April, as slower increases in transport, food, and energy costs helped temper the pace of price growth, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Friday, June 5.
The May inflation rate was lower than the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' forecast range of 7.1 % to 7.9 % and marked a 0.4 percentage-point decline from the previous month.
At a press briefing, National Statistician and PSA chief Claire Dennis Mapa said inflation, or the rate at which prices of goods and services increase, slowed last month primarily due to easing pressures in the transport sector.
"Ang pangunahing dahilan ng mas mababang antas ng inflation sa Mayo kumpara noong Abril 2026 ay ang mas mabagal na pagtaas ng presyo ng transport na may 16.2% inflation rate," Mapa said.
Transport accounted for 70.3 % of the overall deceleration in inflation during the month.
According to the PSA, slower price increases for diesel and gasoline were among the major contributors, with diesel inflation recorded at 58.5 % and gasoline inflation at 51.6 %.
The second major factor behind the slowdown was the easing inflation in food and non-alcoholic beverages, which posted a 5.7 % inflation rate.
"Ang pangalawang dahilan ng mas mababang antas ng inflation itong Mayo ay ang mas mabagal ng pagbaba ng presyo ng food and non-alcoholic beverages na may 5.7% inflation rate. Ito ay may 16.9% share sa pagbaba ng pangkalatang inflation sa bansa," he added.
Despite the moderation, elevated fuel and food prices continued to exert upward pressure on consumer prices nationwide.
The inflation rate in April 2026 was recorded at 7.2 %, while inflation stood at 1.3 % in May 2025.
Meanwhile, the country's average inflation rate from January to May 2026 settled at 4.5 %.
The PSA said it will continue to monitor price movements across major commodity groups as policymakers assess the inflation outlook for the rest of the year.
