INEI: Consumer prices in Lima Metropolitan area increased by 0.52% during the month of April of 2026

The employed population in Peru reached 17 million 575 thousand 200 people during the year 2025, of which almost the half are between 25 and 44 years old, this was informed by the chief of the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), Dr. Gaspar Morán Flores, within the framework of the International Worker’s Day.

The National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) informed that during the month of April of 2026, the Consumer Price Index of Lima Metropolitan area increased 0.52% compared to the last month, reaching an accumulated variation of 3.72% as of the fourth month of the year and that of the last twelve months (May 2025- April 2026) reached 4.01%.

The chief of the INEI, Dr. Gaspar Morán Flores, explained that the monthly result was mainly influenced by the increase registered in the transportation area due to the increase in the omnibus and microbus fare and gasohol; as well as, due to the higher prices of white potato, onion and menu in restaurants, that together contributed with 0.445 percentage points to the result of April. On the other hand, it decreased the prices of foods such as the eviscerated chicken, chicken breast, green peas and strawberry; also the packaged, he stated.

In the Technical Report Variation of the Price Indicators of the Economyindicates that the monthly growth of prices is based in the behavior of the consumption divisions of Transportation (3.35%); Restaurants and hotels (0.57%); Goods and services (0.24%); Furnitures, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (0.22%); Recreation and Culture (0.16%); Accommodation, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (0.14%); Health (0.13%) and Clothing items and footwear (0.11%).

On the other hand, it decreased the prices of Foods and Non-alcoholic Beverages (-0.26%); Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics (-0.23%) and Communications (-0.18%); nevertheless, the division of Education did not register variation.

In the division Transportation increased the prices of transportation of passengers by air (4.4%) due to the increase of domestic (5.2%) and international (4.1%) air ticket; transportation of passenger by road (3.9%) due to combi fare (9.5%), omnibus and microbus fare (8.0%) and interprovince omnibus (4.4%); and the fuel for vehicles (2.9%) due to the increase of price of fuel such as diesel petroleum (14.7%) and gasohol (4.2%); nevertheless, it reduced the prices of liquefied petroleum gas for vehicles (-22.5%).

In Restaurants and hotels increased the prices of food service in restaurants and similar facilities (0.6%) such as grill meat (1.4%), grilled chicken (1.0%), Creole and regional plates (0.9%), menu in restaurants (0.6%) and sandwiches (0.4%); and the service of beverages in restaurants and similar facilities (0.5%) such as hot beverages (1.2%), blended fruit juice (0.6%), served beer (0.3%) and served carbonated beverages (0.3%).

The reduction of prices in Foods and non-alcoholic beverages is explained by the lower prices observed in meat (-3.6%) such as eviscerated chicken (-8.2%), chicken cuts: wings (-5.1%), breast (-5.0%) and leg (-4.9%); and breaded chicken (-3.1%). In addition, it decreased the prices of the following items: milk, cheese and eggs (-0.2%), of which the chicken eggs registered decrease in prices (-0.4%).

Meanwhile, it increased the prices of fishes and seafood (2.3%) such as Parrot fish (12.9%),horse mackerel (7.5%), sea bass (6.8%) and mullet fish (6.1%); vegetables, legumes including potato and other tubers (2.1%) such as beet (14.4%), onion (12.8%), white potato (10.8%), celery (9.9%), leek (9.5%), color potato (7.5%), broccoli (5.9%), chili pepper (5.6%) and yellow sweet potato (2.3%); as well as fruits (1.0%) such as mango (16.0%), blueberries (14.7%), cucumber(13.4%), white grape (10.3%), lemon (4.3%), Inguiri banana (4.2%), orange juice (2.8%), Israel apple (2.5%) and papaya (2.2%).

In Goods and different services grew the prices of beauty parlors and establishments of personal care (0.6%) such as haircut for man (0.7%), esthetic care of hands and feet (0.7%) and hair dyes (0.7%); and other articles and products for the personal care (0.2%) such as hair dyes (1.2%), deodorants (0.3%), disposable diapers (0.2%) and shampoo (0.2%).

During April of 2026, from the 586 products that made up the family basket, 291 products increased their price, 123 products decreased and 172 did not showed variation in their prices. Those that registered a greater increase were: mango (16.02%), diesel petroleum (14.68%), blueberries (14.65%), beet (14.45%), cucumber (13.41%), Parrot fish (12.92%), onion (12.78%) and white potato (10.85%).

Meanwhile, it decreased the prices of liquefied petroleum gas for vehicles (-22.45%), green peas (-10.69%), eviscerated chicken (-8.22%), green beans (-7.32%), strawberry (-6.47%), coriander (-6.03%), green fava (-5.17%), and breast chicken (-4.95%).

The variation of Consumer Price Index of Lima Metropolitan area without considering foods and energy (underlying inflation) during April of 2026 reached 0.87%.

During the month of April of 2026, the Consumer Price Index at National level grew 0.64% compared to the last month, with an accumulated variation of 3.53% as of the fourth month of the year and the annualized (May 2025 – April 2026) reached 3.73%. This result was explained in the increase of price of the consumption division of Transportation (3.61%), Restaurants and hotels (0.59%), Accommodation, water, electricity, gas (0.33%), Furniture, household items (0.22%), Goods and different services (0.19%), Health (0.16%), Recreation and culture (0.16%), Foods and non-alcoholic beverages (0.10%), Education (0.08%), Alcoholic beverages and tobacco (0.07%); and Clothing items and footwear (0.05%); nevertheless, Communications showed a decreasing result (-0.34%).

During the month under analysis, twenty-four cities out of the twenty-six cities where the Consumer Price Index were registered increase of prices. The highest variations were observed in the cities of Puerto Maldonado (2.08%), Arequipa (1.85%), Cajamarca (1.80%), Cerro de Pasco (1.67%) and Moquegua (1.61%); meanwhile that the decrease of prices were registered in the cities of Ica and Chimbote (-0.26% each one).

During April of 2026, the Wholesale Price Index grew 1.42% compared to the last month. This behavior was explained by the increase of prices of national products, outstanding in manufacturing of industrial petroleum and diesel, gasohol, liquefied petroleum gas, King Kong bricks for roof and Pandereta brick, cement, brown and white sugar, preserved fish in pieces, carbonated beverages and white beer; as well as in agriculture products, between them, onion, sweet potato, potato, lemon, corn, banana and coffee in grain; and in fishing, such as Parrot fish, cabrilla, horse mackerel, mackerel, Bonito fish, river shrimp and trout; meanwhile that livestock products registered lower prices, mainly live chicken, guinea pig and pig cattle.

Likewise, it registered higher prices in the imported products of manufacturing (diesel petroleum, polyethylene resins, PVC and polypropylene, nitrogen fertilizers, crude soybean oil, carbon black, soy cakes and front loaders) and in the agribusiness products, such as non-carded cotton, hard yellow corn and wheat.

During the fourth month of the year, the Price Index of Machinery and Equipment increased 0.36% compared to the month of March of 2026. This result was associated to the behavior of the imported capital goods, within a context of the appreciation of the US dollar, mainly in the machinery for transportation (vehicles for the transportation of goods, road tractors for semi-trailers and air and oil filters); agriculture machinery (tractors); industrial machinery (machines for the preparation of meats, wheel loaders and dumper truck); other machinery, such as basic medical instruments and electro domestic devices).

Likewise, the capital goods of national origin showed increase of prices, driven by the industrial machinery (desktops, industrial fans, shelves and batteries of lead oxide), as well as by other machinery (nets for a catch and stretchers – armchairs of medical treatment) and machinery for transportation (moto taxi and car-bodies); meanwhile that agriculture machinery evidenced lower prices, such as nests for birds and drinking troughs.

During April of 2026, Price Index of Construction Materials in Lima Metropolitan area increased by 1.13% compared to the last month, mainly due to the greater Price in bricks (for roof, Pandereta brick, King Kong brick and Pastelero brick), associated to the increase of production costs and transportation; aggregates (concrete, sand and stone); and binder such as Portland cement Type I.

In addition, it increased the prices in concrete structures and frameworks (ready-mix concrete, gypsum and fiber wallboard); woods (Capirona wood, oak, Cachimbo wood and Tornillo wood), due to the increase of freight; electric supplies (cables for telephone facilities, of general use and fixed installation); metallic products (nails, LAC steel tubes, LAC and LAF steel tubes, steel plates and corrugated zinc alloyed sheets); tiles and mosaics (floor coverings); glasses (templated); and tubes and plastic accessories (PVC accessories for water and sewerage and tubes for sewerage).