Meat prices jump 24% as commodity costs rise nearly 10%

Prices of essential commodities in Male' rose by nearly 10 percent in October compared with the same month last year, driven by sharp increases in food prices, according to the Maldives Bureau of Statistics.

The Essential Commodities Price Index (ECPI), which tracks changes in the average prices of basic goods, showed that prices rose by 9.96 percent in October 2026 compared with October 2025. On a month-on-month basis, the index increased by 1.01 percent.

According to the bureau, food prices recorded a 10.73 percent annual increase, making food the largest contributor to the rise in essential commodity prices.

The biggest increase was recorded in meat prices, which surged by 23.97 percent compared with the same month last year. Vegetable prices rose by 22.16 percent, while the prices of milk, dairy products and eggs increased by 12.11 percent. Fruit prices were up 13.24 percent year-on-year.

Compared with September, fruit prices increased by 3.32 percent, while prices for cereals and cereal products rose by 1.92 percent and meat prices increased by 1.04 percent.

Meanwhile, prices in the gas and other fuel category remained unchanged from September but were 13.82 percent higher than in October last year. Beverage prices rose by 7.42 percent year-on-year, while personal care products recorded an annual increase of 4.86 percent.

The ECPI report showed that the overall index for Male' stood at 125.39 in October, reflecting higher prices for essential commodities both on a monthly and annual basis.