A. M. 
The Índice General de Precios al Consumidor (IPC) of El Salvador registered a monthly decrease of 0.29% during October 2024, according to data from the Banco Central de Reserva (BCR) released by the Oficina Nacional de Estadísticas y Censos (ONEC). With this variation, the general index stood at 130.04 points, showing a slight negative annual variation of -0.07% and an accumulated variation of 0.54% so far this year.
Among the products that drove this reduction, several basic consumption products stand out, such as tomatoes, whose price decreased by 0.11%, followed by special and regular gasoline, with decreases of 0.08% and 0.05%, respectively. There were also decreases in the prices of carrots and beans, both down 0.03%, which helped to alleviate the cost of some essential foods and fuels.
However, not all prices showed decreases during the month. Among the products and services that experienced increases were air travel, which rose by 0.06%, as well as food products such as watermelon, with an increase of 0.02%, and hard cheese and shark fish, with increases of 0.01% each. These increases, although minor, reflect specific variations in some market sectors.
The mixed behavior of prices is framed by global fluctuations in food and fuel costs, as well as local supply and demand dynamics. These figures underscore the importance of continuing to monitor the IPC to assess the impact on the economy of Salvadoran households and on public policies aimed at containing inflation.
In general terms, the country’s inflationary outlook seems to remain under control, although with specific challenges in certain sectors. The relative stability of prices, despite variations in some products, allows consumers and economic authorities to foresee a moderate year-end in terms of inflation.
