VANUATU CONSUMER PRICE INDEX STATISTICS
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is used to measure the changes in the prices of goods and services purchased by households in Port Vila, Luganville and Lenakel over a period of time. The separate indices for these three major commercial centres are then combined to create the Vanuatu CPI. This change in prices is sometimes called inflation. Retail stores, supermarkets, liquor outlets, transport operators, service stations and other providers of goods and services help supply the Vanuatu Bureau of Statistics with the information to calculate the CPI. Prices are collected for the same goods and services each quarter. This ensures that changes in the cost of goods and services over time are not due to changes in the quantity or quality of the goods and services purchased.
CPI NEWS
Quarterly Movement
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the June quarter of 2025, showed an increase of (+1.2%). Port Vila increases by (+1.1%), Luganville (+1.6%), and Lenakel (+2.0%) compared to the previous quarter. The most significant contributors to the overall increase in the CPI were the expenditure groups: Food (+1.6%), Education (+4.5%), Clothing & Footwear (+3.5%), Health (+3.3%), Transportation and Household Supplies (+1.7%) each, and Communication (+0.6%). On the other hand, expenditure groups that shows declines were Drinks & Tobacco and Miscellaneous (-0.4%) respectively, Recreation (-0.9%) while Housing & Utilities remain constant.
The increase in expenditure group were primarily driven by price changes in the following categories: meals and takeaway food, dairy and related products, fruits and vegetables, school fees for private schools, footwear for men, woman and children, medical testing, motor vehicle repair and services, and mobile phones.
CPI Annual Movement
When compared to the June quarter of 2024, the Vanuatu index increased by (+0.1%). Port Vila Index decreased by (-0.6%), while Luganville and Lenakel index increase by (+2.3%) and (+4.2%) respectively. At national level, increases in the expenditure groups were: Food (+0.7%), Health (+8.2%), Education (+0.9%), Transportation (+0.7%), and Miscellaneous (+1.8%). The increases were driven by the price movement of meals and takeaway food, fruits and vegetables, medical testing, school fees for private school, repair and services of motor vehicle, and personal accessories.
‘Underlying inflation’ is a measure derived from the CPI excluding items which typically have unstable or volatile prices; because of things like seasonal variation or policy decisions. In June, 2024 underlying inflation increased by (+0.9%) over the previous quarter and increased by (+0.1%) over the same quarter of 2024.
