Jakarta. Prices of staple foods in several disaster-hit provinces began easing toward the end of January, offering early relief after weeks of inflationary pressure, data from Indonesia’s Central Statistics Agency (BPS) showed.

The agency said West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh, all of which had previously recorded elevated inflation following natural disasters, posted declines in the regional price development index (IPH) as of Jan. 23, 2026, during the fourth week of the month.

“Overall, price pressures at the provincial level in West Sumatra, North Sumatra, and Aceh have already eased. Any remaining increases are confined to certain districts or cities,” BPS head Amalia Adininggar Widyasanti said during an online regional inflation coordination meeting on Tuesday.

Following a landslide disaster in late November 2025 that killed 1,000 people and destroyed homes and infrastructure, inflation in the three provinces soared in December. Aceh recorded the highest inflation nationwide at 6.71% year on year, while West Sumatra posted 5.15% and North Sumatra 4.66%, all well above the national average of 2.92%. Food prices were among the main drivers, particularly amid supply disruptions caused by the natural disaster.

West Sumatra recorded the sharpest correction, with its IPH falling 4.47, driven mainly by lower prices of red chili, shallots, and garlic, Amalia said. North Sumatra followed with a 3.63% drop in IPH, largely reflecting softer prices of red chili, shallots, and cooking oil.

Aceh, which had faced the steepest inflation pressure late last year, also showed signs of relief, with its IPH declining 1.33%, supported by lower prices of red chili, broiler eggs, and tempeh.

inflation in the three provinces surged. In December 2025, Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra recorded monthly inflation of 3.6 percent, 1.66 percent, and 1.48 percent, respectively. A month earlier, the three provinces had experienced deflation of 0.67 percent, 0.42 percent, and 0.24 percent, respectively.

While price pressures cooled in parts of Sumatra, inflationary momentum shifted back to eastern Indonesia. North Maluku posted the highest IPH in the fourth week of January at 1.26%, fueled by rising prices of rice, shallots, and bird’s eye chili. West Kalimantan followed with an IPH of 1.07%, driven by broiler chicken meat, red chili, and bird’s eye chili, while West Papua recorded an IPH of 0.81%, supported by higher prices of broiler chicken, bird’s eye chili, and beef.

At the district and city level, BPS flagged several disaster-affected areas that still require close monitoring. Bener Meriah regency in Aceh recorded the highest IPH increase nationwide at 10.7%, driven mainly by broiler chicken meat, rice, and beef. Langsa city also saw prices rise, with an IPH increase of 1.01%, supported by higher prices of broiler chicken, rice, and fresh shrimp.

BPS also noted that on Java Island, IPH increases were mainly driven by broiler chicken meat and bird’s eye chili, while outside Sumatra and Java, the main contributors to rising prices were bird’s eye chili, broiler chicken meat, and shallots.

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