FX.co ★ Brunei Consumer Prices Almost Flat in February

Consumer prices in Brunei showed a negligible increase of 0.01% year-on-year in February 2025, following a 0.4% decrease in January. The rise in prices was largely influenced by the sectors of clothing and footwear, which saw a significant increase of 9.4% compared to 1.5% in the previous month. Other sectors contributing to the price uptick included restaurants and hotels (remaining steady at 0.5%), recreation and culture (0.6% from 0.8%), and education, which was stable at 0.3%. There was also a slight increase in miscellaneous goods and services, which rose to 0.2% from 0.1%. In contrast, certain categories experienced falling costs, notably food and non-alcoholic beverages (-0.7% compared to -1.0% in January), housing and utilities, which improved slightly at -0.2% from -0.8%, furnishings and household maintenance remaining static at -0.3%, transport (-1.3% from -1.2%), and communication, steady at -0.5%. Month-on-month, consumer prices climbed by 0.3%, bouncing back from a 1.2% decline in the previous month. The annual CPI for 2024 had decreased by 0.4%, contrasting with a 0.4% rise in the preceding year and marking the first instance of a decline in five years.