Amman, March 11 (Petra) -- The Consumer Price Index (CPI), or inflation, showed a 1.17 percent increase for February 2026 compared with the same month in 2025, according to the Department of Statistics' monthly report issued Wednesday.

The index also posted a slight month-on-month increase of 0.22 percent from January 2026, indicating that inflation rates are approaching stability, with monthly gains remaining limited and below one percentage point.

On a cumulative basis, the CPI for the first two months of 2026 rose 1.11 percent compared with the same period of 2025.

A comparison of monthly price increases in January and February 2026 shows that they remained below the levels recorded on a monthly basis during 2025.

By commodity group, the increase in the overall CPI for February 2026 was driven mainly by a 40.00 percent rise in personal effects, 13.95 percent in oils and fats, 11.95 percent in tea, coffee, and cocoa, 5.19 percent in fruits and nuts, and 3.99 percent in tobacco and cigarettes.

By contrast, prices declined in several categories, including meat and poultry, down 7.43 percent, household appliances, down 3.24 percent, fuel and lighting, down 2.07 percent, and transport, down 1.48 percent.

Comparing the cumulative CPI for the first two months of 2026 with the same period in 2025, personal effects rose 39.47 percent, oils and fats 13.70 percent, tea, coffee, and cocoa 11.99 percent, fruits and nuts 4.71 percent, and tobacco and cigarettes 3.99 percent.

Meanwhile, vegetables, dried legumes, and canned goods fell 2.09 percent, while fuel and lighting declined 1.48 percent.

The CPI is calculated on the basis of a consumer basket comprising 850 items, including 325 food items and 525 non-food items.

//Petra// AO