Consumer prices in El Salvador rose 2.5% year-on-year in May 2026, up from 2.2% in April and marking the highest inflation rate since October 2023. Price growth accelerated in several categories, including transport (6.4% vs 3.3%), recreation and culture (1.8% vs 1.1%), healthcare (2.8% vs 2.7%), housing and utilities (1.1% vs 1.1%), restaurants and hotels (4.4% vs 4.2%), and miscellaneous goods and services (1.8% vs 1.6%).
By contrast, inflation eased slightly for food and non-alcoholic beverages (2.9% vs 3.0%) and for alcoholic beverages and tobacco (2.4% vs 2.5%). Communication costs declined at a faster rate (-0.9% vs -0.7%), while education inflation remained steady at 0.5%.
Clothing and footwear prices rebounded, edging up 0.03% after a 0.05% drop in April. Prices for furniture and household goods also increased by 0.4%, reversing a 0.02% decrease in the previous month.
