In March, Macao's composite consumer price index rose by 1.06% year-on-year.

According to the data from the Statistics and Census Service of Macao, the composite consumer price index (CPI) in March 2026 increased by 1.06% compared to the same period last year, but decreased by 0.18% compared to the previous month. In the twelve months leading up to March of this year, the average composite CPI rose by 0.53% compared to the same period a year ago (from April 2024 to March 2025). Compared to the same month last year, the price index for food and non-alcoholic beverages increased by 1.12%, mainly driven by the rise in dining out and take-out prices, as well as the increase in gasoline prices which led to a 1.89% rise in the transportation category. The miscellaneous goods and services category (including personal care, insurance, jewelry, and watches, +3.12%) and recreation, sports, and culture category (+3.02%) recorded significant increases, while the tobacco and alcohol category decreased by 0.26%. The CPI for category A and category B increased by 0.97% and 1.13% respectively compared to the same period last year. Compared to February, the composite CPI in March decreased by 0.18%. The decrease was mainly due to the drop in demand for travel-related expenses after the Spring Festival, leading to a decline in the recreation, sports, and culture category (-4.63%). The decrease in airfare offset the increase in gasoline prices, resulting in a monthly decrease in the transportation category (-0.91%). On the other hand, the prices in the medical category (+0.33%), household equipment and services category (+0.24%), and food and non-alcoholic beverages category (+0.11%) increased on a monthly basis. The CPI for category A and category B decreased by 0.11% and 0.22% respectively. In the twelve months leading up to March of this year, the average composite CPI rose by 0.53% compared to the same period a year ago, with the average CPI for category A and category B increasing by 0.46% and 0.58% respectively. In the first quarter, the average composite CPI rose by 0.92% compared to the same period last year, with the average CPI for category A and category B increasing by 0.86% and 0.97% respectively. The Statistics and Census Service of Macao compiles three series of CPI to reflect the impact of price changes on different expenditure groups. Category A and category B CPI cover approximately 50% and 30% of households, with average monthly expenditures ranging from 11,000 to 35,999 Macao Patacas and 36,000 to 71,999 Macao Patacas respectively. The composite CPI covers all households, with a higher proportion of expenditures in the categories of housing and fuel, food and non-alcoholic beverages, and transportation, with weights of 34.47, 29.47, and 8.33 respectively.