Lebanon’s annual inflation rate eased to 10.9% in January 2026, down from 12.2% in December 2025, marking the lowest level since January 2020. Price growth slowed notably in several categories, including alcoholic beverages and tobacco (7.0% vs 8.1% in December 2025), housing and utilities (15.0% vs 17.2%), recreation, amusement, and culture (31.3% vs 31.6%), restaurants and hotels (7.2% vs 7.6%), and miscellaneous goods and services (14.2% vs 21.6%).
Transportation costs declined (-0.7% vs +3.2%), while deflation intensified for furnishings, household equipment, and routine household maintenance (-2.3% vs -1.6%), as well as for communication (-1.6% vs -0.7%). In contrast, prices accelerated for food and non-alcoholic beverages (15.1% vs 14.6%) and for clothing and footwear (2.8% vs 2.0%). On a monthly basis, consumer prices fell by 0.1% in January 2026, following a flat reading in December.
