Consumer prices in Lima Metropolitan area increased 2.38% in March of 2026

During March of 2026, the Consumer Price Index of Lima Metropolitan area increased 2.38% compared to February of 2026, being the highest month rate registered in the last 32 years; the accumulated variation as of March was of 3.19%, meanwhile the annual variation (April 2025-March 2026) reached 3.80%, according to the Technical Report Variation of the Price Indicators of the Economy prepared by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI).

This result is based in the greater prices registered, mainly, in the following divisions of consumption: Transportation (9.06%); Foods and Non-alcoholic Beverages (3.24%); Education (2.93%); Accommodation, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (0.89%); Restaurants and Hotels (0.84%); Furniture, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance and Recreation and Culture (0.24% in both cases); Clothing Items and Footwear (0.21%); Goods and Different Services (0.17%); and Health (0.11%).

On the other hand, the divisions that showed a decrease in their prices during the third month of the year were: Communications (-1.85%) and Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics (-0.08%).

The increase of prices registered in Transportation was due to the increase of prices in fuels for vehicles (Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) for vehicles, diesel oil, Gasohol and natural gas vehicles (NGV), due to shortage of the product and greater international price), that influenced in the increase of the urban fare in omnibus and microbus, moto-taxi, combi, taxi and shared taxis.

The increase in Foods and Non-Alcoholic Beverages was due to the greater price in vegetables (green beans, green peas, lettuce, tomato), tubers (yellow, color and white potato) fruits (blueberries, strawberry, pineapple, mango, lemon), fishes (mackerel, horse mackerel, parrot fish) and poultry meat (hen, eviscerated chicken and its cuts), dimmed by the lower prices in wheat flour and bread; Education, due to greater prices in the monthly payments and registration fee due to the start of the new school year, university year and technical-productive education; and Restaurants and Hotels due to the increase of prices in food in restaurants (menu in restaurants, chicken broth, sandwiches, pollo a la brasa (grilled chicken)). On the other hand, Communications showed a decrease by the reduction of fares in the service of mobile phone due to a greater competition.

During March of 2026, the variation of Consumer Price Index in Lima Metropolitan area was influenced by the increase of prices in transportation, such as omnibus and microbus fare and taxi fare, as well as gasohol. Likewise, white potato and public university tuition, that together contributed with 0.936 percentage points to the result of the month. On the other hand, it decreased the prices of the consumption of mobile phone, fare in interprovince omnibus, residential electricity and fruits such as passion fruit and mandarin.

During the third month of the year, of the 586 products that make up the family basket, 353 products increased their price, 78 products decreased their price and the other 155 products kept their prices. Those that registered a greater increase were: Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) vehicles (75.55%), blueberries (52.06%), diesel oil (33.02%), gasohol (32.53%), strawberry (32.30%), green beans (29.20%), white potato (25.00%) and green peas (22.43%). Likewise, the packaged domestic gas increased by 12.5% due to the lower domestic supply.

Meanwhile, it decreased the prices of the natural gas consumption (-1.89%), domestic air ticket (-2.65%), Escabeche yellow chili pepper (-2.66%), sweet granadilla (-4.27%), mobile phone consumption (-4.80%), ticket in interprovince omnibus (-5.59%), natural flowers and plants (-6.31%) and passion fruits (-8.27%).

The variation of Consumer Price Index of Lima Metropolitan area without considering foods and energy (underlying inflation) during March of 2026 grew 2.07%.

During March of 2026, the Consumer Price Index at National level grew by 2.13%, compared to February of 2026 and in the last twelve months (April 2025 – March 2026) reached 3.38%. This behavior is based in the increase observed in the following consumption divisions: Transportation (7.86%); Foods and Non-alcoholic Beverages (2.96%); Education (2.89%); Accommodation, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels (1.21%); Restaurants and Hotels (0.67%); Furniture, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (0.29%); Goods and Different Services (0.22%); Health (0.14%); Clothing Items and Footwear (0,13%); Recreation and Culture (0.11%) and Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics (0.05%). On the other hand, it decreased the Price of the Communications division (-1.79%).

During the month under analysis, in the twenty-six cities where the Consumer Price Index were registered increase of prices. Among the cities with greater positive results, we have: Huánuco (2.65%), Chimbote (2.51%), Puerto Maldonado (2.42%), Lima Metropolitan area (2.38%), Moquegua (2.19%), Chiclayo (2.05%), Huancayo and Arequipa (1.94% each one), Piura (1.80%), Ica (1.79%), Huaraz (1.74%), Pucallpa (1.68%), Tacna (1.62%), Trujillo (1.59%) and Cerro de Pasco (1.52%).

During March of 2026, Wholesale Price Index grew registered an increase of 3.11% compared to February of 2026. This result is based in the increase of prices of the domestic products, mainly of manufacturing products (diesel oil, gasohol, industrial oil, liquefied petroleum gas, Pandereta brick, PVC tubes, construction rods, vegetal shortening, sweet cookies, chicken meat, brown sugar and preserved fish in filet); agriculture (green peas, potato, onion, sweet potato, mango, tomato, carrot, orange, banana and lemon); livestock (eggs, live chicken, live hen, ovine cattle, swine and beef cattle); and fishing products (parrot fish, cachema fish, cabrilla fish, horse mackerel, boquichico fish and trout).

Likewise, it increased the goods of imported origin, both manufacturing (diesel oil, nitrogen-based fertilizers, resins PVC, front loaders, construction rods, crude soybean oil, steel sheets, polyethylene resins and vehicles for transportation) such as agribusiness (hard yellow corn, non-carded cotton, wheat, lentils and apples).

During the third month of 2026, Price Index of Machinery and Equipment grew by 1.54% compared to the last month. To this result contributed the machinery for transportation (road tractor for semi-trailer, pick-up trucks and vehicles for transportation of goods); industrial machinery (desktop computers, wheel loaders and excavators); agriculture machinery (shovels and tractors); and other machinery (electromedical devices and different electricity meters).

Likewise, goods of capital assets also increased; among them, machinery for transportation (car bodies and springs for automotive vehicles); industrial machinery (metallic tanks and electrical Transformers); and other machinery (stretchers-armchairs of medical treatment and clinic beds), meanwhile that agriculture machinery remained stable.

During March of 2026, Price Index of Construction Materials in Lima Metropolitan area increased by 0.88% compared to February of 2026, due to the upward trend in most of groups that are part of the basket of construction materials. It outstood the bricks (king Kong brick, pandereta brick, brick for roof and pastelero brick), influenced by the greater cost of transportation and of inputs in production; as well as aggregates (sand, concrete and stone) and metallic products (LAC steel tubes, black wire, construction rods, corrugated zinc plated sheets and nails).

The same behavior was observed in glasses (templated and primary); woods (Capirona, Cachimbo and oak); tiles and mosaics (coatings for wall and floor); concrete structures (fibre sheets and premixed concrete); binders (gypsum and Portland cement type I); and plastic tubes and accessories (PVC accessories for electricity, tanks for water and tubes for electricity). On the other hand, the group of electric supplies reduced their prices, mainly in cables for energy.