Inflation Eases to 1.88% in First Five Months of 2026

Amman: The Department of Statistics (DoS) has released its monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for May 2026, showing that the inflation rate during the first five months of the year stood at 1.88 percent, down from 1.97 percent recorded during the same period in 2025. In May 2026 alone, the annual inflation rate reached 2.83 percent, compared with 1.98 percent in May 2025. The CPI also increased by 0.55 percent compared with April 2026.

According to Jordan News Agency, inflation during the first five months of 2026 was primarily driven by higher rental costs, which contributed 0.68 percentage points to the overall rate. Other major contributors included oils and fats (0.25 percentage points), transportation (0.26 percentage points), and tea, coffee, and cocoa (0.12 percentage points).

The rise in inflation in May 2026 compared with the same month last year was mainly attributed to transportation costs, which accounted for 1.23 percentage points of the increase. Rental costs followed with a contribution of 0.68 percentage points, while oils and fats added 0.27 percentage points.

The report noted that declines in the prices of certain goods helped curb inflationary pressures during May. Most notably, lower prices for fruits and nuts reduced the inflation rate by approximately 0.14 percentage points.

The DoS explained that the Consumer Price Index is calculated based on a basket of 850 consumer goods and services, including 325 food items and 525 non-food items. Price data are collected from a survey sample of 3,400 establishments across the Kingdom.