WILLEMSTAD – Curaçao's latest inflation figures show a noticeable change in the direction of consumer prices during 2026, with steady increases during the first half of the year giving way to a slight decline and subsequent stabilization during July and August.
Figures published by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS) show that the Consumer Price Index stood at approximately 104.7 in January. Monthly prices were unchanged in January, followed by increases of 0.1 percent in February, 0.3 percent in March, 0.6 percent in April, 0.5 percent in May and 0.8 percent in June.
June therefore recorded the strongest monthly increase during the first eight months of 2026.
The trend subsequently reversed. Consumer prices declined by 0.1 percent in July before recording no change in August. The CPI stood at 106.9 in both July and August.
The figures mean that while Curaçao consumers faced cumulative price increases during much of the first half of 2026, there was no further overall increase during the latest two-month period.
Nevertheless, stabilization from one month to another does not mean that the cost of living has returned to previous levels. The CPI remains above where it stood at the beginning of the year, reflecting the price increases accumulated during the preceding months.
CBS's longer-term inflation measurement puts the current rate at 1.4 percent. The agency reported that the 12-month average CPI increased from 104.1 in August 2025 to 105.6 in August 2026.
CBS explained that the inflation rate is an indicator of the average increase in the cost of living and can be used as an indexation benchmark for salaries, pensions, social benefits, the minimum wage and other forms of income.
The August results therefore present two different pictures of Curaçao's price environment: prices were stable compared with July, but consumers are still paying more on average than they were over the comparable longer-term period.