MANILA, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' headline inflation for 2025 was recorded at 1.7 percent, well below the government's 2 to 4 percent target range, even as price pressures picked up slightly in December, data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showed on Tuesday.
PSA Chief Claire Dennis Mapa told a press conference that headline inflation rose to 1.8 percent in December from 1.5 percent in November.
Despite the uptick, Mapa said that the annual average remained comfortably under target, reflecting generally subdued price pressures over the year.
Mapa said the December increase was driven mainly by higher food and non-alcoholic beverage prices, as well as faster inflation in clothing and footwear.
Core inflation, which strips out volatile food and energy items, remained at 2.4 percent for 2025, supporting the overall low inflation environment in the year.
"Proactive and well-coordinated government measures to stabilize prices and safeguard the purchasing power of Filipino households helped keep inflation low in 2025," said the country's Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev).
"Despite global headwinds and domestic challenges, the Philippine economy has remained resilient against inflationary pressures due to the government's timely and targeted interventions," DEPDev Secretary Arsenio Balisacan said in a separate statement.
Building on this momentum, he said the government will continue to pursue prudent fiscal and monetary coordination and advance structural reforms to sustain the downward inflation trend and support inclusive growth in 2026 and beyond. ■