In September 2026, the consumer price index increased in the six regions presented by the Central Statistical Office. Monthly increases range from 1.10% in the North to 2.30% in the Bekaa. These differences do not rank regions according to their cost of living. In Nabatiyé, the comparison requires additional caution: much of the price had to be charged for lack of actual records.
Regional inflation provides information on price movements, not the amount needed to live in each territory. The CAS release issued on October 21, 2026 compares the September to August indices. This reference period should be retained prior to interpretation.
At the national level, the increase is 1.35% over one month and 17.53 % over twelve months. The first rate describes the transition from August to September 2026. The second compares September 2026 to September 2025. The regional variations in the communiqué are monthly and cannot be directly compared with the annual rate of 17.53 per cent.
Six variations, same period
The CAS presents the following results for September 2026 compared to August 2026:
| Region according to CAS News Release | Monthly change in CPI |
|---|---|
| Beirut | +1.45% |
| Mount Lebanon | +1.24% |
| Northern Lebanon | +1.10 % |
| Bekaa | +2.30 % |
| South Lebanon | +1,17 % |
| Nabatiyah | +1.65% |
The Bekaa shows the highest increase among these six results. The gap with the North is 1.20 percentage point. This is a difference between two rates of change, not a 1.20 % difference between prices in these regions.
A faster increase does not prove that the starting level was higher. For illustrative purposes, a basket from 100 to 102 units is increasing by 2%. A basket from 200 to 202 increases by 1%, while remaining more expensive. This arithmetic example does not describe any Lebanese region; it shows why the rate of increase and the level of prices are two distinct issues.
In Nabatiyah, the limit of collection
The note attached to the press release should accompany the table reading. The CAS indicates that collection difficulties persist, particularly in Nabatiyah. Since most of the actual prices could not be collected, the calculation is based on a large number of imputed prices.
Impute consists of replacing a missing observation with an estimated value using a statistical method. The published rate remains that of the CAS, but not all of its data should be presented as prices directly recorded on the spot.
The press release does not provide the precise number of surveys replaced or a margin of uncertainty to test the extent of regional differences. The result of Nabatiyé must therefore not feed too assertive a classification. The extent of imputations is essential information about the measure itself.
What the table does not explain
The six aggregate rates are not sufficient to attribute differences to rents, transportation, food or other items. In order to identify contributions, detailed developments and relevant weights would be required. The regional communiqué does not present them.
Nor does it lead to the conclusion that a household in the Bekaa would have incurred exactly 2.30% of the additional expenses. The budget actually paid depends on the products purchased, the quantities, the housing and the services used. A regional index remains an aggregate measure, not an accounting statement for each family.
Finally, a month is not enough to establish a sustainable territorial trend. A series of months would allow us to see if the differences persist, narrow or reverse. It should be accompanied by information on the conditions of collection to distinguish observed movements from measurement limits.
The September figures therefore provide a precise benchmark: indices have increased in the six regions at different rates. To move from this to a cost-of-living comparison, or an explanation of variances, further data would be needed. The publication of regional details and the share of imputed prices would make this reading more robust.
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