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Workers unload sacks of 10-kilogram rice at Kartilya ng Katipunan in Manila on April 21, 2026 from the Bicol Region for distribution under a government food security initiative.
The STAR / Edd Gumban
MANILA, Philippines — Inflation hit the poorest Filipino households harder than most in April, with price growth for the bottom 30% income group accelerating to 8.5% as food, transport and utility costs surged.
The Philippine Statistics Authority said Tuesday, May 5, that inflation for the lowest-income households rose from 4.2% in March, and 0.1% in April last year. The latest figure brought the average inflation rate for this income group from January to April to 4.2%.
The figure was higher than the national headline inflation rate of 7.2% in April, which was itself the fastest pace since March 2023.
Food takes heaviest share
For low-income households, the pressure was concentrated in items that are difficult to cut back on, particulaly rice, fish, vegetables, transport and utilities.
The PSA said the April uptrend for the bottom 30% was mainly driven by faster increases in food and non-alcoholic beverages, which rose 8.4% from 3.9% in March.
Food inflation for the poorest households climbed to 8.5% from 3.7% a month earlier. The drivers of this were:
- Rice: 15.3%
- Corn: 22.7%
- Fish and other seafood: 11.1%
- Vegetables, tubers, plantains, cooking bananas and pulses: 11.6%.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 53.6% of the overall inflation rate for the bottom 30%, or 4.6 percentage points.
Shock in other costs. Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels contributed 17.7%, while transport contributed 14.9%.
Transport inflation for the bottom 30% jumped to 19.5% from 7.2% in March, while housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels rose 9.9% from 4.7%.
The rise shows how fuel, fares, electricity and basic food prices weigh more heavily on poorer households, whose spending is concentrated on essentials.
Regions. Inflation outside Metro Manila also ran hotter. For the bottom 30% in areas outside the National Capital Region, inflation accelerated to 8.5% from 4.3% in March. In Metro Manila, it rose to 5.2% from 3.4%.
