On May 29, 2026, the Statistics Division under Antigua and Barbuda’s Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance published the official Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for April 2026, revealing key inflation trends for the small Caribbean nation. Year-over-year, headline inflation reached 3.1% when comparing April 2026 to the same period one year prior. Core inflation, measured by the All-Items Less Food and Energy index, stood at a higher 4.0% over the 12-month period, while food inflation remained muted at just 0.3% overall.
The marginal overall increase in the Food Index masks stark divergence across different product categories. Five food segments recorded price declines, three saw increases, and the Sugars, Jams, Honey, Chocolate, and Confectionery category held steady. The upward pressure on food prices came almost entirely from sharp gains in two segments: Fish and Seafood prices jumped 11.0% year-over-year, while Vegetable prices rose 8.0%. These gains were almost entirely offset by significant drops in other key food categories: Fruit prices plummeted 12.9%, Milk, Cheese and Eggs fell 6.5%, and Meat and Meat Products declined 5.2%, bringing the overall food inflation rate down to its low 0.3% level.
Core inflation was driven heavily by skyrocketing costs in the transport services sector, which soared 60.3% year-over-year. The Statistics Division attributed this massive increase to rising regional and international airfares, which have pushed up average transport service costs dramatically over the 12-month period. Other sectors seeing notable annual price gains included Recreation and Culture, which rose 30.2%, Education at 13.3%, and Restaurants and Hotels at 4.5%.
Looking at month-to-month changes between March 2026 and April 2026, the overall CPI rose a full 1.0% in a single month. The Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages index outpaced overall inflation with a 2.4% monthly gain, bouncing back from a 1.5% contraction in March. Vegetable prices led the monthly food increase with a 7.5% jump, with Fresh and Chilled Vegetables posting a 13.3% monthly gain – the steepest one-month increase for that segment since a 19.4% rise in November 2024. Fruit prices rose 4.7% month-over-month, while Fish and Seafood increased 3.9%. Non-alcoholic beverages also saw above-average gains at 2.6%, driven by an 8.2% jump in fruit and vegetable juice prices and a 2.9% rise in soft drinks.
On a monthly basis, the All Items Less Food and Energy index rose 0.9% in April 2026. Transport services again led gains with an 11.7% monthly jump, directly tied to a 14.0% increase in average airfare prices. Recreation and Culture followed with a 14.5% monthly price increase, while the Health index rose 2.4%.
For context, the CPI is the world’s standard benchmark for measuring overall inflation, tracking the average monthly and annual change in prices of the basket of goods and services purchased by a typical household. The Antigua and Barbuda National Bureau of Statistics collects price data monthly and quarterly from retail outlets and service providers across the country, and updates the basket weights based on regular household expenditure surveys. The current index framework is based on 2006 expenditure patterns, and the full index, including 12 component sub-indices, is published on a monthly basis. For full methodological details, the public can contact the bureau’s senior statistical staff directly.