Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — At -0. l%, the inflation rate for American Samoa in the 4th Quarter 2025 (Oct.-Dec. 2025) was negative for the first time since the fourth quarter of 2020. With students back in classrooms, the Education & Communication Group has the largest expenditure category this quarter. Annually, the Medical Group is the highest at 1.4%.

QUARTERLY GROUP MOVEMENTS

The Food Group's quarterly percentage change (QPC) is -1.3% this quarter. Among the thirty food items that have seen a price drop, one item significantly contributed to this decline, eggs. Prices for eggs decreased by - 238.4%, bringing the average cost to $2.43 this quarter, down $1.52 from the previous quarter. Eggs aren't the only items that have decreased in price; twenty-six other food items have also experienced drops. These include onions (-10.2%), cake mix (-7.6%), tomatoes (-7.1%), chicken wings (-7.1%), pigs' feet (-6.4%), and pork ribs (-4.3%). Additionally, thirty-three food items have increased in price, such as lamb neck (15.3%), boneless beef (12.2%), turkey tail (9.6%), cabbage (9.0%), cucumbers (8.7%), and ketchup (5.1%). Twenty-five items, however, have not changed in price, which include bread, water, a McDonald's meal, and soda.

During this quarter, the Alcoholic Group experienced a decline of 3.7%. All three monitored categories within this group saw price changes. Specifically, beer prices increased by 1.2%, while prices for distilled spirits decreased slightly by 0.1%, and wine prices fell by 15.9%. The Housing Group registered an increase of 2.4%. The items that saw price rise include refrigerators (7.9%), bedroom furniture (4.5%), other living room furniture (4.2%), ASPA electricity (2.9%), and freezers (2.0%). However, a few items within this group experienced price decreases, including washing machines (-0.03%), chainsaws (-0.003%), construction materials (-0.6%), and non-electric hand tools (-1.5%).

With a 2.2% increase in the CPI, the Apparel Group saw an increase this quarter. Costs of women's slacks (2.6%) and women's & girls' footwear (0.4%) have gone up, whilst women's dress (-2.9%), men's & boys footwear (-3.0%), infants' footwear (-0.4%), and infants diapers (-8.0%) have decreased.

The Medical Group has increased by 1.8% this quarter. Most items monitored for this group remained the same, except for Non-prescription drugs (1.9%) and Band-Aids (1.0%). The Entertainment Group has seen a decrease of -3.2%. Only one item out of the twenty-two items has seen a rise in cost, and that is cat food at 2.0%.

The Education and Communication Group increased by 4.4%, making it the top expenditure group this quarter. Similar to the Entertainment Group, the Education & Communication Group has only one item that has seen a change, while all other items remain the same. The one item that has changed in the group is the cost of a postal service charge, which has increased by 9.1%. Other Goods and Services Group experienced a 0.7% increase. Three items have seen price decreases: hair conditioner (-1.2%), toothpaste (-2.0%), and soap (-6.8%). Deodorant is the only item that has increased in price by 0.5%.

The Transportation Group experienced the greatest decline this quarter, with a decrease of -5.0%. Gas prices fell by -0.1%, diesel by -0.2%, and airfares at -6.8%. However, the costs for automotive brake repairs increased by 6.9%. Average gas and diesel prices are as follows:

Q4/2024         Gas $4.28      Diesel $4.49

Q1/2025         Gas $4.19      Diesel $4.48

Q2/2025         Gas $4.01      Diesel $4.19

Q3/2025         Gas $4.12      Diesel $4.39

Q4/2025         Gas $4.06      Diesel $4.38

ANNUAL GROUP MOVEMENTS

The Medical Group has the highest expenditure, with an annual increase of 1.4%. Following this, the Other Goods & Services Group saw an increase of 0.8%, while the Housing Group experienced a rise of 0.7%. Both the Food Group and the Education & Communication Group increased by 0.4%. On the other hand, four groups have reported decreases. The largest decrease was observed in the Alcoholic Beverages Group, which fell by 3.5%. This was followed by the Entertainment Group at -1.7%. The Apparel Group saw a decline of 0.9%, and the Transportation Group dropped by 0.8%.

COMPARATIVE COST OF SELECTED GOODS AND SERVICES IN MANU'A

A sample of average commodity prices normally purchased in the regular CPI was used as the survey template with the same commodity descriptions, weights, detailed specifications, brand names, etc., to make direct comparisons. Eleven stores in Ta'u, Ofu and Olosega islands were selected and 28 commodities including Food (21 items), Housing (2 items), Alcohol (2 items), Miscellaneous (2 items) and Transportation (1 item) were priced.

The reported cost difference between Tutuila and Manua is 73.99%. During data collection in Manua, several stores were closed due to the owners traveling for personal reasons. The stores that were open had a limited selection of items in stock.