Table A. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates
for the Bottom 30% Income Households, All Items
In Percent
(2018=100)

A. Philippines                          

1. Overall Inflation

The country’s inflation rate for the bottom 30% income households slowed down further to 0.1 percent in April 2025 from 1.1 percent in March 2025. This brings the national average inflation rate for this income group from January to April 2025 to 1.3 percent. In April 2024, the inflation rate was posted at 5.3 percent. (Figure 1, and Tables A, B, 5, 6, and 12)

1.1 Main Drivers to the Downward Trend of the Overall Inflation

The downtrend in the overall inflation for the bottom 30% income households in April 2025 was primarily brought about by the annual decrement in the index of the heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages at 1.2 percent during the month from a 0.4 percent annual increase in March 2025. Transport also contributed to the lower inflation rate after its index posted a faster annual decline of 1.4 percent in April 2025 from a 0.4 percent annual decrease in the previous month.

In addition, slower annual growth rates were noted in the indices of the following commodity groups in April 2025:

a. Clothing and footwear, 1.6 percent from 1.8 percent;
b. Recreation, sport and culture, 3.7 percent from 3.9 percent; and
c. Restaurants and accommodation services, 2.6 percent from 2.7 percent.

In contrast, higher annual growth rates were recorded in the indices of the following commodity groups during the month:

a. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 4.5 percent from 4.1 percent; 
b. Housing, water electricity, gas and other fuels, 1.9 percent from 1.7 percent; and
c. Health, 2.1 percent from 1.9 percent.

The indices of the rest of the commodity groups retained their respective previous month’s annual growth rates. (Tables 5 and 6)     

2. Food Inflation

Food inflation for the bottom 30% income households at the national level recorded an annual decline of 1.6 percent in April 2025 from a 0.2 percent annual increase in the previous month. In April 2024, food inflation was observed at 8.5 percent. (Table 9)

2.1 Main Drivers to the Downward Trend of Food Inflation

The deceleration of food inflation was mainly due to the faster annual decline in the rice index at 12.6 percent during the month from 9.1 percent annual decrease in March 2025. Also contributed to the downtrend of the food inflation was the slower annual increase observed in the index of vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses at 3.6 percent in April 2025 from 7.4 percent in the previous month.

In addition, lower inflation rates in April 2025 were noted in the following food groups:

a. Flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, 1.4 percent from 1.6 percent;
b. Meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals, 7.7 percent from 8.1 percent;
c. Fish and other seafood, 3.2 percent from 4.3 percent; and
d. Ready-made food and other food products not elsewhere classified, 3.3 percent from 4.0 percent.

Moreover, the faster annual decreases in the indices of corn at 7.0 percent during the month from a 4.7 percent year-on-year decrement in March 2025, and sugar, confectionery and desserts at 0.7 percent from 0.1 annual decline in the previous month also contributed to the downtrend of the food inflation.

On the contrary, higher annual increases were noted in the indices of milk, other dairy products and eggs at 5.0 percent in April 2025 from 4.1 percent in the previous month, and oils and fats at 8.6 percent during the month from 7.0 percent in March 2025.

The index of fruits and nuts retained its previous month’s annual growth rate. (Tables 7 and 11)

2.2 Main Contributors to Food Inflation

The top three food groups in terms of contribution to food inflation during the month were the following:

a. Cereals and cereal products, which includes rice, corn, flour, bread and other bakery products, pasta products, and other cereals, with 265.7 percent share or -4.3 percentage points;
b. Sugar, confectionery and desserts with a share of 1.3 percent or -0.02 percentage point; and
c. Oils and fats with a share of -7.5 percent or 0.1 percentage point. 

                         
 

B. National Capital Region (NCR)

Inflation for the bottom 30% income households in NCR increased to 2.4 percent in April 2025 from 2.3 percent in March 2025. In April 2024, inflation in the area was observed at 3.8 percent. (Tables A, 5, 6, and 13)

The uptrend of inflation in the area was mainly brought about by the faster annual increment in the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index at 6.0 percent during the month from 2.7 percent in March 2025. Also contributed to the uptrend of the overall inflation in the area were the annual increases observed in the indices of restaurants and accommodation services at 1.9 percent in April 2025 from 1.8 percent in the previous month, and recreation, sport and culture at 2.6 percent during the month from 2.2 percent in March 2025.

On the other hand, slower annual increases were observed in the indices of the following commodity groups in April 2025:

a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages, 1.7 percent from 3.0 percent;
b. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 2.0 percent from 2.2 percent;
c. Clothing and footwear, 0.7 percent from 0.8 percent;
d. Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance, 0.9 percent from 1.0 percent; and
e. Health, 1.5 percent from 1.7 percent.

Moreover, faster annual decrease was observed in the index of transport at 1.3 percent during the month from a 1.1 percent year-on-year decrement in March 2025.

The indices of the rest of the commodity groups retained their respective previous month’s annual rates. (Tables 5 and 6)

C. Areas Outside NCR (AONCR)

In AONCR, inflation for the bottom 30% income households was at zero percent in April 2025 from a 1.0 percent annual increase in March 2025. In April 2024, inflation for this income group was registered at 5.4 percent. (Tables A, 5, and 14)

The deceleration of inflation in the area was mainly influenced by the annual decrease in the heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages index at 1.3 percent in April 2025 from a 0.3 percent annual increase in March 2025. Also contributed to the downtrend was the faster year-on-year decline in the index of transport at 1.4 percent during the month from a 0.4 percent annual decrease in March 2025.

In addition, slower annual increases were observed in the indices of the following commodity groups in April 2025:

a. Clothing and footwear, 1.7 percent from 1.8 percent;
b. Recreation, sport and culture, 3.8 percent from 4.0 percent; and
c. Restaurants and accommodation services, 2.7 percent from 2.8 percent.

In contrast, higher annual growth rates were recorded in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 4.5 percent during the month from 4.2 percent in March 2025, and health at 2.1 percent in April 2025 from 1.9 percent in the previous month.

The indices of the rest of the commodity groups remained at their respective previous month’s annual rates. (Tables 5 and 6)

In April 2025, seven regions outside NCR exhibited negative inflation rates with Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) recording the fastest decline at 2.5 percent. The rest of the regions outside NCR registered lower inflation rates relative to their respective year-on-year growth rates in March 2025, with Region IV-A (CALABARZON) recording the highest inflation rate of 1.7 percent. (Table 6)



Note: CPIs and inflation rates for the bottom 30% income households by region are posted at the PSA OpenSTAT portal at https://openstat.psa.gov.ph/PXWeb/pxweb/en/DB/DB__2M__PI__BIH__2018/?tablelist=true.

CLAIRE DENNIS S. MAPA, PhD                       
Undersecretary                          
National Statistician and Civil Registrar General                          
 

See more at the Consumer Price Index for Bottom 30% Income Households main page.