Executive Summary

• The Consumer Price Index in Syria increased by 0.8 per cent during June 2026 compared to May. This rise was the result of opposite trends. Pressures from rising housing, energy, transportation and education costs are offset by seasonal declines in food prices, especially vegetables. However, this slowdown in the monthly inflation rate compared to the previous month should not be interpreted as a general stability in prices. Annual inflation remained at 40.5 per cent, and the housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel groups remained the highest inflation group on an annual basis at 59.8 per cent. Therefore, the decline in the monthly inflation rate in June reflects a temporary balance between seasonal declines in food and continuing increases in housing, energy, and transportation, more than it reflects a sustainable improvement in the cost of living.
• Al-Hasakeh recorded an exceptional trend compared to the rest of the governorates, as its monthly inflation rate reached 24.8 per cent. This increase was mainly linked to the sharp increase in electricity tariffs and the prices of some energy sources, in the context of bringing local pricing systems closer to the tariffs approved in SYP-Governed Areas (SYP-GA). Al-Hasakeh clearly shows the dangers of unifying or approximating pricing systems without gradual implementation or safeguards. The increase in electricity tariffs and free diesel prices, along with the disruption in fuel availability, led to the shock being transmitted to transportation, water, rents, and services. Thus, the governorate has become a revealing case of what can happen when the cost of energy is transferred to consumers and producers more quickly than the ability of local incomes to adapt.
• Inflation moved during the month under the influence of two opposite factors: The rise in housing, energy and transportation costs pushed the general price level higher, while the decline in vegetable prices by 19.5 per cent contributed to reducing inflation, as a result of the expansion of domestic supply during the production season.
• In the exchange market, the average price of the dollar in the parallel market increased by about 2.7 per cent during June compared to May, despite the noticeable improvement in the value of the lira during the last week of the month. This late improvement was not enough to change the trend that prevailed in the exchange market during most days of the month.
• In contrast, wages remained far from keeping pace with the cost of living; The average monthly wage of a university employee in the public sector covered only 44.0 per cent of the family’s abject poverty line. This reflects the continuing wide gap between incomes and prices, and the resulting pressure on families to reduce their consumption or rely on additional sources of income and external transfers.
• The upper poverty line for a family of five was about SYP 7.47 million per month, which confirms that most wage earners remain unable to secure a basic standard of living. The comparison between incomes and poverty lines also shows that limited inflation during the month does not mean an actual improvement in living conditions, in light of the accumulation of previous increases and the continued weakness of purchasing power.

Categories: Bulletins, May, Monthly Bulletins, Monthly Bulletins 2026, Publication

Tags: Monthly Bulletin of Consumer Prices and Inflation in Syria Issue No. 6 – June 2026, Monthly Bulletin on Consumer Prices and Inflation in Syria, SCPR, Syria