Manila, Sep 5
The Philippines' annual headline inflation quickened to 1.5 per cent in August from 0.9 per cent in July, mainly due to higher food prices caused by unfavorable weather conditions, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Friday.
PSA chief Dennis Mapa said in a news conference that the food and non-alcoholic beverages index, a major component of the basket, increased by 0.9 per cent in August, reversing a 0.2 per cent annual drop in July 2025. He noted that this shift was the primary source of upward pressure for the month, News Agency reported.
Mapa said the slower annual decrease in transport at 0.3 per cent in August 2025 from 2.0 per cent in the previous month also contributed to the uptrend.
The August inflation rate brings the national average inflation from January to August 2025 to 1.7 per cent. In August 2024, the inflation rate was higher at 3.3 per cent.