May 8 (Reuters) - Colombia's consumer prices rose 0.78% in the fourth month of 2026, the country's DANE statistics agency said on Friday, taking cumulative 12-month price growth to 5.68%.
April's inflation data was a touch above the 0.73% expectation of analysts polled by Reuters, and flat compared to the prior month.
Year-on-year inflation slightly edged up from the 5.56% recorded in March and landed just a touch above the 5.63% predicted by analysts.
This remains well above the central bank's target
range of 3%, plus or minus a percentage point.
March's price hikes were led by food and non-alcoholic drinks, home services and transport. Prices in the information and communication sector dipped slightly.
Earlier this week, the technical team for Colombia's central bank edged up its forecast for this year's inflation, predicting the rate will end 2026 at 6.4%. It maintained its estimate that inflation will ease to 3.7% the following year.
Days earlier, the bank's board unanimously voted to keep its benchmark interest rate at 11.25%, following a public spat between board members and the country's leftist government, represented on the board by Finance Minister German Avila.
Here is a breakdown of Colombia's consumer prices:
March April
Change in month(%) +0.78 +0.78
Accumulated 12 months(%) +5.56 +5.68
Food and non-alcoholic +1.27 +1.51
beverages(%)
Housing and public +0.85 +0.70
services(%)
(Reporting by Sarah Morland; Editing by Daina Beth Solomon)
