The Consumer Price Index (CPI) has risen by three tenths of a percentage point over the last month and stood at 4.9 per cent in the Balearics in October, the same figure as for Spain as a whole. Nationally, the CPI remained at 4.9 per cent in October, meaning it remains the highest rate since February 2023 (6 per cent), due to the containment of prices for fuel, food, clothing and footwear.

The National Statistics Institute (INE) confirmed on Friday the figures released two weeks ago, whilst also maintaining core inflation (excluding energy and fresh food prices) at 3.1 per cent, the highest level in two and a half years (since March 2024).

Headline inflation in October remained at its highest level since February 2023 (6 per cent), having recorded three consecutive months of increases in September: July (3.6 per cent), August (4.3 per cent) and September (4.9 per cent), following three months – April, May and June – during which it had stabilised at 3.2 per cent, and a far cry from the 2.3 per cent recorded at the start of the year.

Meanwhile, the core rate has remained around 2.9 per cent for nine consecutive months, fluctuating between 2.7 per cent and 3.1 per cent, and stands 1.8 percentage points below the headline rate. In October’s price trends, the transport category exerted downward pressure, with prices rising by 10.3 per cent year-on-year – two tenths of a percentage point less than in September – due to the fall in the cost of fuels and lubricants for private vehicles following tax cuts introduced to mitigate the energy shock caused by the war in Iran.

Food and non-alcoholic drinks also exerted downward pressure on prices, with prices rising by 2.4 per cent year-on-year – three tenths of a percentage point less than in September – due to the slower rise in the cost of fruit and nuts. Similarly, prices for clothing and footwear rose by 1.8 per cent, three tenths of a percentage point less; this moderation is explained by the lower price increases for garments this year at the start of the autumn-winter season.

Price stability in fuel, food and clothing offset the upward pressure exerted by housing, which saw its rate rise by four tenths of a percentage point to 7.6 per cent, due to higher gas prices. The same applied to recreation, sport and culture, where prices rose by 4.1 per cent – five tenths of a percentage point higher – due to the smaller fall in the cost of package holidays.

A breakdown of the statistics shows that diesel rose by 36.2 per cent year-on-year, 2.2 percentage points more than in September, whilst petrol rose by 20.7 per cent, almost 7 percentage points less.
In October, the discount on diesel had been extended to 20 céntimos per litre, whilst the discount on petrol remained at 5 céntimos; however, since 1 November, the 20-céntimos discount has been applied to both, in accordance with the latest package of support measures for families and businesses that was approved.

With regard to other energy products, electricity prices rose by 11.1 per cent in October; consequently, reductions in VAT or the Special Tax on Electricity have not been triggered, as the annual rate remains below the 15 per cent threshold, whilst natural gas prices rose by 5.3 per cent.

Within the food and non-alcoholic drinks category, the largest increases were recorded for fresh berries (54.2 per cent), vegetables (20.8 per cent), pulses (14.5 per cent) and tropical fruits (12.9 per cent), whilst the rise in egg prices moderated slightly to 7.1 per cent.

The items that rose most in price compared with a year earlier were liquid fuels (68.8 per cent), berries (54.2 per cent), diesel (36.2 per cent), vegetables (20.8 per cent) and petrol (20.7 per cent). At the other end of the scale, the biggest falls in October were recorded for passenger rail transport, down 11.1 per cent; newspapers, down 5.2 per cent; video games and consoles (5.1 per cent); accessories for private vehicles (4.9 per cent); and sports equipment (4.6 per cent).

On a month-on-month basis, consumer prices rose by 0.6 per cent compared with September. The groups with the greatest positive impact were clothing and footwear, reflecting price trends at the start of the season. Food and drink also contributed, due to rising prices for fruit and nuts and, to a lesser extent, for vegetables, pulses and potatoes, as well as fish and seafood; and housing, due to the rise in electricity and gas prices.

The items that saw the sharpest price rises in October were citrus fruits (22.5 per cent) and international air travel (16.6 per cent), whilst the items that fell the most were petrol (6.1 per cent) and hotels, holiday flats and other accommodation (5.8 per cent).

The CPI recorded positive annual rates in all autonomous communities: Castile and León, Castile-La Mancha and Galicia saw the largest increases, at 5.3 per cent in all three cases; whilst Andalusia recorded the smallest increase, at 4.4 per cent. In October, the annual rate of change in the HICP stood at 4.9 per cent, one-tenth of a percentage point lower than that recorded the previous month. The monthly change was 0.5 per cent.