Macau reports rising inflation and increased visitor numbers

Macau's inflation rate grew by 1.16% between January and September 2026 compared to the same period last year, marking the highest accumulated increase in six years. According to the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC), the primary driver of this rise was a 11.2% increase in fuel costs, attributed to geopolitical instability in the Middle East affecting global energy markets.

Other sectors also experienced upward pressure. Food and non-alcoholic beverages rose by 1.15%, driven by higher costs for dining out. The housing sector saw increases in rents (0.33%) and mortgages (0.49%), while the jewelry and watch sector saw a 27% surge due to rising global gold prices. In response to these macroeconomic conditions, the Monetary Authority of Macau approved an interest rate hike in September.

Simultaneously, Macau recorded 32.18 million visitor entries in the first nine months of 2026, an 8.5% increase year-on-year. Visitors from mainland China accounted for 23.88 million entries, a 10.7% increase. While visitors from Taiwan grew by 21.3%, entries from Hong Kong saw a slight decrease of 0.3%. International visitors from other regions rose by 3.4%, with significant growth noted from Thailand, though declines were observed in the Philippines and Indonesia.