November sees sharp price swings across food, services and fuels

Food prices

Food prices rose by an average of 1% during the month and by 5.9% over the past year. Among key food items, eggs recorded the highest monthly increase at 2.4%. Milk and lamb prices rose by 0.8%, boneless beef by 0.5%, and vegetable oils and flour by around 0.5%. In contrast, rice prices fell 4.5%, sugar decreased 2.7%, and poultry meat and chicken legs dropped 1.2%.

Vegetables saw dramatic changes: cucumbers nearly doubled in price, tomatoes rose 82%, bell peppers increased 61.2%, and eggplants went up 51.7%. Meanwhile, carrots fell more than 25%, lemons by 3%, and onions by 2.5%.

Over the past year, meat prices surged significantly, with lamb up 26.8% and beef around 24%. Other notable increases included lemons (+65%), carrots (+14.5%), cabbage (+13.8%), cucumbers (+13.7%), and milk (+7%). Rice fell 17% over the year, flour dropped almost 6%, and sugar decreased 4.6%. Despite November’s spike, eggplants remain 11.5% cheaper than a year ago.

Services

In some regions, tariffs for heating and hot water rose sharply, with monthly increases averaging 7.3% and 9%, respectively, and year-to-date growth at 11.5% and 11.9%. Parking fees rose in two regions, adding 2.8% to average prices, while courier services increased 1.3% for the month and 18.3% over the year. Food delivery costs rose 0.5% monthly (6.4% annually).

Transport fares showed mixed trends. Domestic and international airline tickets fell 1.1% in November despite a 54% annual increase for domestic flights and 4.4% for international. Long-distance train travel declined 0.2% for the month, though prices rose 7.3% year-on-year.

Other services showed modest increases: catering rose 0.4–0.7%, tutoring 0.5% (annual 6.9%), and language courses 0.6% (annual 7.8%). Healthcare services increased slightly by 0.3% for both inpatient and outpatient treatment. Meanwhile, money transfer costs continued to decline, dropping 1.6% in November and 6.4% year-on-year.

Consumer goods and fuels

Petrol prices increased an average of 1.7% for the month, while methane decreased slightly by 0.2%. Propane rose 7.4% but remains 20.8% cheaper than last November. The cost of petrol varied by grade: AI-80 (+1%), AI-91/92 (+0.4–0.6%), AI-95/98 (+1%), and AI-100 (+0.6%).

Seasonal demand pushed clothing and footwear prices higher, with coats and jackets up 0.5–2.4% and boots 0.4–1.1%. Medicines increased 0.2% for the month and 5.3% year-to-date.

Overall, November saw the highest price pressures in fresh produce, eggs, meat, and propane, while some staples like rice and sugar saw declines, reflecting mixed trends in Uzbekistan’s evolving inflation landscape.