Fruit and veg in a supermarket in Broummana (Metn). (Illustrative photo by Philippe Hage Boutros/L'Orient Today)
For the second month in a row, the consumer price index (CPI) recorded a monthly increase of less than 1 percent in September, with a rate of 0.6 percent during the month, compared to 0.56 percent in August, according to the latest figures published Monday by the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS).
On an annual basis, the CPI rose by 15.06 percent in September, a level that is also higher than that recorded in August (+14.17 percent). These figures are in line with those put forward by the World Bank. In its latest report, the international institution forecasts that inflation will reach 15.2 percent this year in Lebanon and 8.7 percent in 2026.
Although the Lebanese pound's exchange rate has been stable for more than two years after losing 98 percent of its value between 2019 and 2023, the World Bank estimates that this inflation level remains “well above global inflation,” especially “due to limited competition” and “oligopolistic market structures” in Lebanon.
For the month of September, the largest monthly increase was seen in the prices of the recreation, leisure, and culture sector, which rose by 1.27 percent. Next were food products and non-alcoholic beverages (+1.23 percent) and transport (+1.04 percent). Except for these three categories, all others experienced price increases below 1 percent.
With the exception of telecommunications prices, which recorded a year-on-year decrease in September (-0.45 percent), prices for all categories posted year-on-year increases during this month. The highest increases were recorded in education prices (+30.57 percent), various goods and services (+27.64 percent), and food products and non-alcoholic beverages (+23.9 percent).
In terms of geographic distribution, the CPI ended September up in all Lebanese regions, with Mount Lebanon topping the list with an increase of 0.9 percent, followed by the Bekaa (+0.69 percent), Nabatieh (+0.64 percent), Beirut (+0.27 percent), South Lebanon (+0.22 percent), and North Lebanon (+0.16 percent).
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