MANILA, Philippines — Inflation accelerated to 2.4 percent in February 2026, driven by higher food prices, particularly due to a slower decline in rice prices and increases in vegetable, fish, and seafood prices, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) reported on Thursday.
It was higher than the 2.0 percent inflation in January and the 2.1 percent inflation in February 2025.
Meanwhile, inflation was lower than the 2.5 percent median forecast of The Manila Times' poll of economists, but was within the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' estimate of 2.3 percent to 3.1 percent.
Core inflation, which excludes select food and energy items, rose to 2.9 percent in February 2026, from 2.8 percent in the previous month. It was also higher than the 2.4 percent core inflation in February 2025.
To date, headline inflation is at 2.2 percent, within the central bank's 2.0 percent to 4.0 percent target. Core inflation to date is at 2.9 percent, within the central bank's target.
