The CPI in April advanced 3.31% compared to December 2025 and 5.46% from a year earlier. For the first four months of 2026, the index climbed 3.99% against the same period last year, with core inflation growing 3.89%.
Month-on-month, the April CPI gained 0.84%, with urban areas up 0.83% and rural areas seeing a 0.86% bump. Ten of the 11 main goods and services groups became more expensive, while only transportation managed to buck the trend and dip.
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The CPI in April advanced 3.31% compared to December 2025 and 5.46% from a year earlier. (Photo for illustration) |
The NSO flagged key inflation drivers for the January-April period. Housing and construction materials prices jumped 6.25% year-on-year, contributing 1.42 percentage points to the overall CPI. Rental housing costs climbed 6.47% on higher maintenance and operating expenses, while home maintenance materials surged 13.52% amid rising construction input costs and robust demand for construction and repairs. Household electricity prices rose 5.53% following stronger consumption and an adjustment to average retail electricity rates effective on May 10, 2025.
Food and catering services prices crept up 4.71%, piling on 1.69 percentage points to the CPI. Pork prices gained 6.07%, adding 0.26 percentage points, as holiday supply ran thin and livestock production costs stayed high. Poultry prices edged up 4.6%, while eating out got 6.12% pricier as restaurants passed along higher input and service costs.
Education costs rose 3.25%, contributing 0.19 percentage points to the CPI, as some private and vocational establishments adjusted tuition fees for the 2025–2026 academic year. Beverages and tobacco prices went up 3.15%, adding 0.06 percentage points, while household equipment and appliances gained 2.38%, contributing 0.12 percentage points.
Meanwhile, culture, entertainment and tourism prices climbed 2.05%, and apparel, headwear and footwear rose 1.79%, together adding 0.06 percentage points to the CPI. Transportation prices advanced 3.48%, contributing 0.35 percentage points, fueled primarily by a 5.16% increase in fuel costs.
Offsetting some pressure, information and communications prices slipped 0.09% over the four-month period, weighed down by cheaper technology devices amid abundant supply and intensifying competition among distributors.
Domestically, the gold price index tumbled 6.71% in April from the prior month, mirroring businesses marking down prices to track global moves. It remained up 54.24% year-on-year and 10.83% compared to December 2025. Gold prices skyrocketed 75.13% in the first four months of 2026.
The greenback fetched around 26,360 VND on the free market. The USD price index inched up 0.17% in April from the previous month, buoyed by stronger domestic demand for foreign currency. It rose 1.44% year-on-year but slipped 0.31% against December 2025. Through the first four months, the USD index ticked up 2.29%.
Core inflation in April hiked 0.88% month-on-month and 4.66% year-on-year. In the first four months, it rose 3.89%, trailing the headline CPI gain of 3.99%, as swings in fuel, gas, and food prices, stripped out of core inflation calculations, drove the broader index higher.
Source: VNA