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The transportation sector registered the largest price increase in El Salvador during october 2026, with a rise of 2.37% compared to september and 10.64% compared to october 2025. According to data from the Banco Central de Reserva (BCR), this sector was the main driver of inflation in the Índice de Precios al Consumidor (IPC), which rose from 135.60 points in september to 136.39 points in october, equivalent to a monthly increase of 0.58%.
Food and beverages also saw increases
After Transportation, the sector with the highest growth in the monthly sector was Food and non-alcoholic beverages, whose index rose from 162.64 to 164.03 points, an increase of 1.39 points or 0.86%. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco followed, rising 0.55% from 180.51 to 181.50 points, and restaurants and hotels increased 0.45% from 170.61 to 171.38 points.
Other sectors that also saw increases were health, rising 0.14% from 118.44 to 118.61 points, and communications, which advanced 0.09% from 79.60 to 79.67 points. In contrast, housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels remained at 152.19 points, while education remained unchanged at 118.00 points.
Three categories registered declines compared to september. Clothing and footwear saw the largest drop, decreasing by 0.37%, from 99.53 to 99.16 points. Furniture, household goods, and routine household maintenance also fell, by 0.04%, from 112.50 to 112.46 points, as did Recreation and culture, by 0.03%, from 96.88 to 96.85 points.
Transportation also leads the year-on-year increase
Comparing october 2026 to the same month in 2025, the overall IPC rose from 131.26 to 136.39 points, representing an increase of 5.13 points or 3.91%. Again, Transportation led the changes, rising from 111.88 to 123.78 points, equivalent to an increase of 11.90 points or 10.64% over twelve months.
The second largest year-on-year increase was in Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, with a growth of 5.06%, rising from 156.13 to 164.03 points. This was followed by Restaurants and Hotels, which increased by 4.61%, from 163.83 to 171.38 points, and Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, with a rise of 3.04%, from 176.14 to 181.50 points.
Other sectors that registered increases included Recreation and Culture, with 3.20%, rising from 93.85 to 96.85 points; Health, with 2.76%, from 115.42 to 118.61 points; and Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels, with 2.14%, from 149.00 to 152.19 points. Education rose 0.79%, while Furniture and Household Goods increased 0.27%.
In contrast, two sectors showed year-on-year declines. Communications decreased 0.70%, falling from 80.23 to 79.67 points, while Clothing and Footwear dropped 1.05%, from 100.21 to 99.16 points, becoming the category with the largest decline compared to october 2025.
Overall, BCR figures show that Transportation was the sector with the largest increase both monthly and year-on-year, followed by Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages. While the overall IPC accumulated a growth of 3.91% in the last twelve months, the Transportation index advanced 10.64%, reflecting a considerably higher variation than the overall indicator.
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