Consumer prices in Ternate, the largest city in North Maluku province, followed a sharp seasonal swing in 2023, BPS data shows. Year-on-year inflation reached its highest point in February at 6.8 percent, driven by a 1.85 percent month-on-month jump. That spike likely reflected demand pressures ahead of Ramadan, which began in late March that year and typically pushes up food and transport costs.
The elevated pace persisted through the festive period. April and May recorded year-on-year rates of 5.63 percent and 5.71 percent, coinciding with Ramadan and Idul Fitri. Month-on-month increases in those months were 1.32 percent and 0.34 percent. After June's 5.37 percent, the headline number cooled markedly, dropping to 3.34 percent by September.
Month-to-month figures revealed three months of outright deflation. March saw the steepest fall at -1.26 percent, likely a post-surge correction as supply normalized after February's jump. September and November also posted small declines of -0.42 percent and -0.2 percent. For the rest of the year, monthly moves were modest, ranging from near zero in January and June (0.1 and 0.01 percent) to a holiday-driven 1.64 percent in December.
Year-on-year readings for the final quarter stayed between 3.9 and 4.41 percent, well below the early-year peaks. Across all 24 monthly observations, the average inflation rate was 2.53 percent, suggesting that while seasonal price swings were sharp, underlying inflationary pressures in Ternate remained contained that year.
Source: Indonesian Central Statistics Agency (BPS) — Web API · Tuesday, 23 June 2026, 09:05
