BPS reports inflation consistently occurs during Ramadan over past five years

Jakarta — The Deputy for Statistics of Distribution and Services at the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS), Ateng Hartono, has stated that month-on-month inflation consistently occurs during each Ramadan period over the past five years.

Price increases during the Islamic holy month are primarily driven by commodities from the Food, Beverage and Tobacco expenditure group. “In general, commodities fluctuate and items from the Food, Beverage and Tobacco group are the primary components contributing to inflation during each Ramadan period,” Hartono said in Jakarta on Monday.

During Ramadan in April 2022, inflation was recorded at 0.95 per cent month-on-month. In the following Ramadan period in March 2023, inflation decreased to 0.18 per cent. Air transport fares and petrol (each contributing 0.03 per cent) and rice, bird’s eye chillies, filter kretek cigarettes and garlic (each contributing 0.02 per cent) were the main commodities driving inflation.

Inflation rose again to 0.52 per cent during Ramadan in March 2024. A further increase occurred in March 2025, when inflation reached 1.65 per cent, marking the highest level of inflation during Ramadan in the past five years. The largest contribution came from electricity tariffs (1.18 per cent), followed by red onions (0.11 per cent), bird’s eye chillies and fresh fish (each 0.06 per cent), gold jewellery (0.05 per cent) and chicken meat (0.03 per cent).

In the current year, monthly inflation during Ramadan in February 2026 was recorded at 0.68 per cent, driven by gold jewellery (0.19 per cent), chicken meat (0.09 per cent), bird’s eye chillies (0.08 per cent), fresh fish (0.05 per cent), red chillies (0.04 per cent) and tomatoes (0.02 per cent).