MANILA — The Philippines’ headline inflation rate remained at 1.7 percent in October 2025, unchanged from the previous month, according to data released by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) on Wednesday.

In the same month last year, inflation was higher at 2.3 percent.

Faster annual increases were observed in the indices of clothing and footwear (1.8 percent from 1.7 percent), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (2.7 percent from 2.1 percent), information and communication (0.7 percent from 0.6 percent), and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services (2.5 percent from 2.4 percent).

Meanwhile, slower inflation rates were recorded in food and non-alcoholic beverages (0.5 percent from 1.0 percent), alcoholic beverages and tobacco (4.0 percent from 4.1 percent), health (2.7 percent from 2.8 percent), transport (0.9 percent from 1.0 percent), and recreation, sport and culture (1.9 percent from 2.1 percent).

The rest of the commodity groups retained their previous month’s annual rates.

The top contributors to the overall inflation rate were housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels with a 34.6 percent share or 0.6 percentage point, followed by restaurants and accommodation services with 14.6 percent share or 0.2 percentage point, and food and non-alcoholic beverages with 13.0 percent share or 0.2 percentage point.

At the national level, food inflation slowed to 0.3 percent in October 2025 from 0.8 percent in September 2025. In October 2024, food inflation was 3.0 percent.

The PSA said the downtrend in food inflation was mainly driven by the slower year-on-year increase in vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses, which eased to 16.6 percent from 19.4 percent. Slower inflation rates were also recorded for meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (5.2 percent from 6.0 percent), milk, other dairy products and eggs (1.6 percent from 2.5 percent), and ready-made food and other food products (2.2 percent from 2.3 percent).

Faster annual declines were noted in rice (17.0 percent from 16.9 percent) and corn (8.1 percent from 4.5 percent), while fruits and nuts saw a 1.4 percent year-on-year decrease from an annual increase of 0.5 percent in September.

In contrast, higher inflation rates were observed in fish and other seafood (8.2 percent from 7.9 percent) and oils and fats (9.4 percent from 9.3 percent).

Food inflation contributed 6.2 percent or 0.1 percentage point to the overall inflation in October 2025. The main contributors to food inflation were vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses (1.7 percentage points), fish and other seafood (1.6 percentage points), and meat and other parts of slaughtered land animals (1.2 percentage points).

Core inflation, which excludes selected food and energy items, eased to 2.5 percent in October 2025 from 2.6 percent in September 2025. It stood at 2.4 percent in October 2024.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), inflation quickened to 2.9 percent in October 2025 from 2.7 percent in the previous month, higher than the 1.4 percent posted in October 2024.

The PSA said the uptrend in NCR was mainly due to faster increases in the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index (5.6 percent from 4.7 percent), restaurants and accommodation services (1.9 percent from 1.6 percent), and personal care and miscellaneous goods and services (2.4 percent from 2.3 percent).

Outside NCR, inflation slowed to 1.3 percent in October 2025 from 1.5 percent in September 2025. The rate in the same month last year was higher at 2.6 percent.

The slower inflation in areas outside NCR was attributed to the deceleration in food and non-alcoholic beverages (0.2 percent from 0.7 percent) and slower increases in alcoholic beverages and tobacco (4.3 percent from 4.4 percent), furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance (2.4 percent from 2.5 percent), transport (1.0 percent from 1.1 percent), recreation, sport and culture (1.9 percent from 2.1 percent), and restaurants and accommodation services (2.6 percent from 2.7 percent).

However, faster increases were recorded in clothing and footwear (1.8 percent from 1.7 percent), housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels (1.8 percent from 1.3 percent), and information and communication (0.8 percent from 0.7 percent).

Eight regions outside NCR recorded lower inflation rates in October 2025, with Region XII (SOCCSKSARGEN) posting the lowest at 0.5 percent and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao at 1.3 percent. Central Visayas remained the region with the highest inflation rate at 2.6 percent.