Cyprus consumer report details price increases in March and April 2026

The Cyprus Consumer Protection Service reported that the annual inflation rate rose to 1.2% in March 2026, compared to 0.1% in February. The increase is attributed to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, which led to a 9.1% monthly rise in petroleum products and a 6.1% increase in agricultural goods. Food inflation reached 3.8% in March, with notable price hikes in items such as frozen fish (13.9%) and processed meats (10.1%). Conversely, electricity and water saw a 13% decrease compared to March 2025. Separately, the Cyprus Consumers Association stated that significant price increases were observed in products listed on 'e-kalathi' starting April 15, 2026. Analysis of 42 products revealed a 62% average price gap between the most expensive and cheapest items, suggesting a lack of strong market competition. The association compared these findings with data from July 2025 to monitor market trends.