Market expectations were not met: price growth in Singapore slowed down at the beginning of the year. According to data received in early February, the country's overall consumer price index increased by only 1.4% year-on-year, whereas experts forecasted a 1.5% increase. Even more surprising was the result for the core index — it rose by only 1%, while analysts expected a growth of about 1.5%.

This lag behind expectations indicates a slowdown in inflationary processes, which may be related to a number of factors — from stabilization of energy prices to relatively restrained consumer demand. For Singapore, whose economy is sensitive to global trends, this development points to ongoing waves of economic transformation that require close attention to pricing dynamics in the coming months.