In a preliminary data release published Tuesday, Suriname’s General Bureau of Statistics (ABS) confirmed that the country’s annual inflation rate continued its downward trend in August 2026, falling to 8.0% from 8.9% recorded in July. This marks the fourth straight month of cooling price growth following a peak of 11.4% in May, when the 12-month rate came in at more than double the August reading.
Month-over-month, consumer prices saw a modest 0.3% increase between July and August 2026, a far slower pace of growth than seen in earlier months of the year. Despite the steady decline in annual inflation, the 12-month average inflation across the past year still stands at 10.6%, far above the August 2026 year-on-year reading.
Behind the headline 8.0% average inflation figure, there is stark variation in price changes across different product and service categories. The most significant year-on-year price hikes were concentrated in essential consumer goods and services: medical and paramedical services recorded the largest annual increase at 28.2%, followed closely by fresh fruits and vegetables, which cost 28.1% more than in August 2025. Dairy products and eggs rose 13.7% year-on-year, while other food categories and non-alcoholic beverages saw a 12% annual increase.
Not all food items saw price increases in August, however. Compared to July, seafood products including fish, fish products and shrimp fell 3.2% in price, while meat and meat products dropped 0.8% on a monthly basis. Even with these monthly declines, both categories remain more expensive than they were a year ago, up 9.9% and 5.9% respectively year-on-year. Sugar and sugar products emerged as a rare category with annual deflation, coming in 4.5% cheaper than in August 2025.
Prices for food consumed outside the home continued to outpace average inflation, with restaurant and takeaway meals up 11.7% year-on-year, and pre-prepared bread, pastries and snacks rising 13.3% annually. Communication equipment and services also saw above-average growth, with prices up 15.2% compared to August 2025.
ABS officials emphasized that the headline inflation rate is a weighted national average, and may not match the actual cost of living experience for every individual consumer. Price movements for the 316 separate goods and services included in the consumer price index (CPI) basket ranged widely in August, from a 46% price drop to a 201% price increase for certain items.
The August 2026 CPI came in at 978.7, up slightly from 976.2 in July. ABS collects price data for the CPI basket from approximately 630 measurement points across seven of Suriname’s districts, but does not currently conduct price sampling in the inland districts of Marowijne, Brokopondo and Sipaliwini, where consumer prices are generally many times higher than in coastal regions.