INFLATION SLOWS TO 4% IN LATEST DATA

The National Bureau of Statistics says prices in February of this year were on average 4.0 per cent higher than they were 12 months earlier.

The Bureau says this is the smallest 12-month increase in the all-items index since December 2023, meaning the pace of price rises has been slowing.

Food prices increased 1.3% in February 2025 when compared to February 2024.

The sub-categories of rice and bread rose 14.1% and 12.9% respectively.

There was also an 18.3% increase in the index for eggs and egg-based products during the 12-month period.

While there was a 4 per cent increase in headline inflation, core inflation, rose 4.3 per cent during the 12 months up to February.

Core inflation measures price rises except for the more volatile categories of food and energy.

Most goods purchased by consumers are imported, making Antigua and Barbuda vulnerable to the increased costs of these goods.