Singapore: Singapore's Consumer Price Index (CPI)-All Items for general households rose by 1.7 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) during the first half (1H) of 2026, compared to the 0.9 per cent increase in the second half (2H) of 2025.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Singapore Department of Statistics (SingStat) reported that the CPI-All Items inflation for the lowest 20 per cent, middle 60 per cent, and highest 20 per cent income groups registered at 1.2 per cent, 1.8 per cent, and 1.6 per cent y-o-y, respectively, in 1H 2026.

In its statement on Thursday, SingStat highlighted that the expenditure items contributing significantly to the CPI-All Items increase across all three household income groups included food, motor cars, health insurance, accommodation, and petrol. Conversely, these increases were somewhat counterbalanced by reduced costs in general, vocational, and higher education, as well as electricity.

In a separate announcement, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) and the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) indicated that the core inflation in Singapore increased to 1.6 per cent y-o-y in June from 1.4 per cent in May 2026. This rise was attributed to inflation in food, services, retail, and other goods.

Additionally, CPI-All Items inflation rose to 1.9 per cent y-o-y in June from 1.8 per cent in May, driven by higher accommodation inflation and the core inflation uptick. The joint statement further noted the gradual impact of rising energy costs on global supply chains, which is expected to elevate production and transportation costs for a broader range of imported goods and services in Singapore.

The economic outlook suggests that consumer spending in Singapore may become more cautious amidst prevailing economic uncertainties. The MAS and MTI projected that both MAS core inflation and CPI-All Items inflation are expected to average between 1.5 and 2.5 per cent throughout 2026.