Inflation plunged 0.8 percent, the Statistical Institute of Jamaica reported for January 2026, in the process confounding forecasts for higher inflation well into 2026. The decline coincides with a seasonal pattern of low to negative inflation for the first four months of the year.
Food category was main contributor to January’s deflation.
According to the Statistical Institute of Jamaica, the Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages division had a decline of 2.6 percent in the index.
Point-to-point inflation rate (January 2025 – January 2026) was 3.9 percent and back below the Central Bank’s target of 4-6 percent, before Hurricane Melissa blew it briefly off course.