MANILA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' year-on-year headline inflation accelerated to 2 percent in January 2026 from 1.8 percent in December 2025, driven mainly by faster price increases in housing utilities and restaurant services, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said Thursday.
PSA Chief Claire Dennis Mapa said at a press briefing that the faster annual rise largely drove the uptick in overall inflation in the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index, which climbed to 3.3 percent in January from 2.5 percent a month earlier.
Restaurants and accommodation services also added upward pressure, with the index posting a higher year-on-year increase of 4 percent in January 2026, up from 2.4 percent in December 2025.
Core inflation, which excludes selected food and energy items, quickened to 2.8 percent in January 2026 from 2.4 percent in December 2025. In January 2025, the core inflation rate was lower at 2.6 percent.
Despite the January increase, headline inflation remained within the government's target range, reflecting generally manageable price pressures at the start of the year, the PSA noted.
The Philippine government is maintaining its 2 to 4 percent inflation targets for 2026 and 2027. ■
