New official inflation data from Antigua and Barbuda has revealed significant divergence in price trends for clothing and footwear, with apparel costs growing far faster than the nation’s overall inflation rate through July 2026. Published by the National Bureau of Statistics, a division of the country’s Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance, the latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) report unpacks shifting consumer costs in the clothing and footwear sector over the 12-month period ending in July.
Across the combined clothing and footwear category, the annual price increase hit 6.6% between July 2025 and July 2026. When broken down by subcategory, this aggregate figure masks a stark contrast: clothing prices have climbed sharply, while footwear has actually seen a modest annual decline. The standalone clothing index jumped 8.8% year-on-year, with the garments subsegment experiencing even more intense upward pressure, recording a 10.3% annual increase that puts noticeable strain on household budgets for everyday apparel.
In a counter to the clothing sector’s growth, footwear prices pulled back 2.3% over the same 12-month window, according to the CPI’s detailed tables. That annual trend does not tell the full story of short-term price movement, however: between June and July 2026, both clothing and footwear recorded notable one-month price hikes. The combined clothing and footwear index rose 5.4% month-on-month, with clothing gaining 5.1% and footwear seeing a far steeper 6.5% jump in July alone.
Notably, the 8.8% annual growth in clothing prices significantly outpaces Antigua and Barbuda’s overall headline inflation rate, which stood at 4.4% in July 2026. The disparity means that consumers are shouldering disproportionate cost increases when purchasing apparel compared to the broader basket of goods and services measured for national inflation tracking. The CPI data offers policymakers and market analysts clear insight into where the most acute consumer price pressures are building in the small island nation’s current economy.