San Pedro Town recorded the sharpest rise in consumer prices for July 2025, with an inflation rate of 3.1% compared to July last year. According to the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB), the island community has experienced a continuous increase in inflation throughout 2025, outpacing the national average of 1.2%.
The SIB report notes that San Pedranos are paying more across nearly all categories of household spending. Food and non-alcoholic beverages, restaurant and café services, household furniture, cleaning products, personal care items, and home rental costs were the main drivers of the island’s price surge. Even medical products and doctor visits recorded increases.
Nationally, inflation was driven by higher food and housing costs. Prices rose for bread, meats, fruits, purified water, juices, and soft drinks. In the housing category, rental costs increased, while the price of a hundred-pound cylinder of liquefied petroleum gas climbed from $118.16 in July 2024 to $130.09 in July 2025.
The transport category provided some relief, with fuel prices declining year-on-year. Diesel fell by $0.70 to $11.34 per gallon, regular gasoline dropped by $0.69 to $11.86, and premium gasoline decreased by $0.60 to $13.22. Despite this, intercity taxi fares rose by 11.5%, negatively affecting some of the benefits for commuters.
Month-to-month data showed a 0.6% increase in consumer prices between June and July, mainly due to a 13.3% jump in the cost of fresh vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, tomatoes, cilantro, and peppers.
For the first seven months of 2025, Belize recorded a year-to-date inflation rate of 1.4% compared to the same period in 2024. The rise was driven mainly by higher prices in food and non-alcoholic beverages (2.4%), housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels (2.4%), and personal care products and services (3.2%), which together accounted for nearly 90% of the increase. Significant gains were noted in breads, fresh fruits, meats, beverages, home rentals, LPG, and personal care items such as deodorants and lotions.
Restaurant and café services rose by 2.1%, furnishings and household services were up 1.9%, and clothing and footwear increased by 2%. In contrast, transport declined by 1.4% due to lower fuel prices, and information and communication fell by 1.7%, reflecting cheaper cellular phones and televisions.
While some municipalities, such as Independence Village, recorded average price declines of 0.9%, San Pedro continues to face the steepest increases. The persistent rise in inflation on the island has raised concerns about the cost of living, particularly for families already strained by higher food and housing expenses.
The SIB will release its next update at the end of September.
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