Lebanon experienced a rise in its annual inflation rate to 15.0% in June 2025, up from 14.4% in May. This was the highest rate recorded since February and was largely fueled by accelerated price increases across various sectors. Notably, prices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco climbed to 13.4% from 12.7% in May, while housing and utilities rose to 18.3% from 18%. The cost of furnishings, household equipment, and routine maintenance also saw a significant uptick, reaching 3.9% compared to 3.2% previously.
Furthermore, inflation pressures increased in sectors such as recreation, entertainment, and culture, which surged to 8.8% from 6.1%, alongside a slight rise in health-related costs from 21.6% to 21.7%. Miscellaneous goods and services experienced a notable jump to 26% from 22.7%. Transportation costs rebounded as well, moving to 1.9% from a negative 0.8%.
Conversely, inflation rates softened in categories such as food and non-alcoholic beverages, falling to 20.8% from 21.4%, and in restaurants and hotels, which decreased to 12.3% from 13.5%. The clothing and footwear sector also saw a decline from 10.3% to 9.7%. Meanwhile, communication costs dipped further, down to -3.3% from -3.2%. On a month-to-month basis, consumer prices increased by 0.8% in June, although this was a slowdown from the 1.3% rise recorded in the previous month.
