Papuaaround.com – West Papua recorded an annual inflation rate of 5.02 percent in January 2026, with the housing, water, electricity, and household fuel group emerging as the main driver of price increases. Data released by Statistics Indonesia (BPS) show that rising costs in this category made the largest contribution to year-on-year inflation compared with other expenditure groups.
According to BPS West Papua, the housing and utilities group contributed 2.70 percentage points to the overall annual inflation rate. This figure reflects price adjustments in essential household needs, particularly electricity tariffs and energy-related expenses, which significantly influenced consumer prices at the start of the year.
In addition, annual inflation was also shaped by higher prices in the food, beverages, and tobacco group. This category contributed 1.29 percentage points, making it the second-largest driver of inflation in the province. Transportation costs followed with a contribution of 0.30 percentage points, indicating moderate price movements in mobility-related services and goods.
Several key commodities played a central role in pushing prices higher during the period. These included electricity tariffs, skipjack tuna, rice, gold jewelry, and red snapper. Price movements in these items affected both household consumption and overall inflation performance in January 2026.
Beyond the major contributors, other expenditure groups also added to inflation, although with smaller impacts. These groups covered health services, financial services, restaurants, and personal care. While their contributions were limited, they collectively reinforced the upward trend in prices across the province.
On a broader scale, West Papua’s annual inflation in January 2026 was notably higher than the previous month, which stood at 2.5 percent year on year. The condition also contrasted sharply with January 2025, when the province experienced deflation of 0.44 percent on an annual basis. This shift highlights changing price dynamics over the past year.
From a calendar-year perspective, inflation from January 2025 to December 2025 was recorded at 0.02 percent year to date. Meanwhile, month-to-month inflation in January 2026 also stood at 0.02 percent, indicating that short-term price increases remained relatively controlled at the beginning of the year.
Monthly inflation was mainly driven by the food, beverages, and tobacco group, which contributed 0.36 percentage points. Key commodities influencing monthly inflation included tuna, skipjack tuna, red snapper, scad fish, and gold jewelry. Overall, these figures suggest stable but closely monitored price developments in West Papua’s economy.
