Hong Kong’s Census and Statistics Department said on April 23 that the Composite Consumer Price Index rose 1.7% in March 2026 from a year earlier, unchanged from the previous month.
By category, other services posted the largest increase, up 4.6%. Electricity, gas and water and transport rose 3.9%, other goods 2.8%, alcoholic drinks and tobacco 2.1%, and rents — including private and public housing — 1.0%. Food, including dining out, increased 0.9%.
Durable goods fell 2.2%, while clothing and footwear slipped 0.7%.
The A-type CPI, which covers lower- and middle-income households that make up about half the population and have average monthly spending of 6,500 to 27,999 Hong Kong dollars (about 132,500 to 570,700 yen), rose 1.6% from a year earlier, also unchanged from the previous month.
For January through March, the Composite CPI rose 1.6% from the same period a year earlier. Underlying inflation for the period was 1.4%.
A government spokesman said March inflation was slightly faster, noting it exceeded the average monthly increase of 1.5% in January and February after adjusting for the timing difference of the Lunar New Year holiday (Feb. 17 in 2026). The spokesman said the pickup remained mild and was mainly driven by a sharp rise in international oil prices amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. The spokesman also said elevated oil prices are expected to affect prices of related goods and services in the CPI in the short term.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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