- Malé's Essential Commodities Price Index rose 1.42% in August and 6.26% year-on-year, reaching 122.07.
- Food, comprising 70.94% of the basket, drove the monthly rise with prices up 1.72%.
- Meat, dairy, sugar, fuel and coffee showed strong annual increases despite modest August changes.
The cost of essential goods in Malé rose sharply in August, with higher food prices accounting for much of the increase faced by households during the month.
The Essential Commodities Price Index rose by 1.42 per cent from July and was 6.26 per cent higher than in August 2025, according to the Maldives Bureau of Statistics. The index reached 122.07, meaning the basket of essential goods was around 22 per cent more expensive than during the November 2022 base period.
Food has the greatest influence on the index because it accounts for 70.94 per cent of the basket. Food prices increased by 1.72 per cent during August, making the category the main source of the overall monthly rise.
The increase was spread across several commonly purchased products. Fruit prices rose by 3.50 per cent, while milk, dairy products and eggs became 2.93 per cent more expensive. Vegetable prices increased by 1.59 per cent, with other food products rising by 1.32 per cent.
The fruit figures also show why monthly and annual comparisons need to be considered together. Despite recording the largest increase during August, fruit prices remained 0.25 per cent below their level a year earlier. This suggests the monthly rise partly reversed earlier declines rather than creating a substantial annual increase.
Other categories point to more persistent pressure. Meat prices rose by only 0.60 per cent during August but were 23.13 per cent higher than a year earlier. Much of the increase therefore occurred before August, leaving households paying considerably more even without a major new monthly rise.
Milk, dairy products and eggs were 12.10 per cent more expensive than in August 2025, while sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery rose by 11.43 per cent. Oils and fats increased by 9.85 per cent over the year, although their monthly rise was limited to 0.38 per cent.
Fish and cereal products experienced comparatively moderate annual changes. Fish prices rose by 0.73 per cent during August and by 1.97 per cent over the year, while cereals and cereal products increased by 0.65 per cent monthly and 3.19 per cent annually.
Beverage prices increased by 0.50 per cent during the month and were 6.52 per cent higher than a year earlier. Coffee and coffee substitutes recorded the strongest annual increase in the category at 22.78 per cent, indicating that the pressure on beverage costs was concentrated in particular products rather than distributed evenly.
Gas and other fuel prices remained unchanged during August. However, they were still 14.54 per cent higher than a year earlier, meaning households received no additional price increase during the month but continued to face costs well above last year’s level.
Personal care products rose by 1.17 per cent during August and 3.59 per cent over the year.
The index tracks 96 essential products using 2,549 price quotations collected each month. It is designed to identify changes in frequently purchased necessities and serves as an early indicator of pressure on household costs. Unlike the broader Consumer Price Index, it does not represent every category of household expenditure.
