BPS: March Inflation at 0.41% Driven by Food Prices Ahead of Eid
The Central Statistics Agency (BPS) reports that national inflation in March 2026 reached 0.41% on a monthly basis (month-to-month/m-t-m). This figure is marked by an increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 110.50 in February 2026 to 110.95 in March 2026.
Although there was an increase, this monthly inflation rate is recorded lower than the same period in the previous year, which reached 1.65%. Meanwhile, calendar-year inflation up to March 2026 is at 0.94%.
The Deputy for Distribution and Services Statistics at BPS, Ateng Hartono, explained that the food, beverages, and tobacco expenditure group was the main driver of this month’s inflation.
“The expenditure group contributing the largest to monthly inflation is food, beverages, and tobacco with inflation of 1.07% and contributing 0.32% to inflation,” said Ateng during a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday (1/4).
Several dominant food commodities driving inflation include fresh fish, broiler chicken meat, rice, broiler eggs, bird’s eye chillies, cooking oil, and beef.
In terms of its components, March 2026 inflation was dominated by the volatile food price component with a contribution of 0.27%. The main commodities in this component include broiler chicken meat, rice, broiler eggs, bird’s eye chillies, and beef.
Meanwhile, the core component contributed 0.08% to inflation, driven by increases in cooking oil and rice with side dishes. The government-administered prices component contributed 0.06%, driven by rises in petrol prices, intercity transport fares, and machine-rolled clove cigarettes (SKM).
On the other hand, there are commodities that restrained the inflation rate or provided deflationary contributions, namely air transport fares and gold jewellery, each recorded at 0.03%.
BPS also highlighted the inflation pattern in the transportation group amid the Ramadan and Eid momentum. Based on historical data from the last five years, inflation trends always occur during this period, except in 2025.
“Commodities contributing the largest to inflation in this group are petrol and intercity transport fares with contributions to general inflation of 0.04% and 0.03% respectively,” explained Ateng.
Interestingly, air transport fares actually acted as an inflation dampener in the transportation group, providing a deflationary contribution to the general figure of 0.03%.