2025.11.2302:27:30UTC+00Brunei Consumer Prices Rise the Most in 21 Months

In October 2025, consumer prices in Brunei witnessed a year-on-year increment of 0.1%, following a 0.03% rise in the preceding month. This marks the second consecutive month of growth and the most significant acceleration since January 2024. The increase was primarily fueled by a continued rise in the cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages, which remained steady at 0.4% as in September. Significant price surges were observed in categories such as fruits, fish and seafood, and coffee, tea, and cocoa. Furthermore, upward pressures were noted in housing and utilities, consistent at 0.1%; transport, albeit at a moderated increase of 0.3% compared to 0.7% previously; clothing and footwear, rebounding strongly to 1.9% from a decline of 1.4%; health, stable at 0.5%; education, unchanged at 0.3%; and restaurants and hotels, maintaining a 0.2% rise. In contrast, there were deeper reductions in furnishings and household maintenance, which fell by 0.4% compared to a previous decrease of 0.7%; communication, which softened to -0.2% from -0.3%; and miscellaneous goods and services, dropping more steeply at -1.1% from -1.3%. Recreation and culture costs notably decreased by 0.4%, inverting the prior 0.1% increase. On a monthly comparison, consumer prices declined by 0.2%, reversing a significant 0.4% increase recorded in September, which had been the largest hike in nine months.