Argentine Inflation Drops Below 2% for the First Time in 10 Months

A Fresh Breeze for Argentina's Economy

On July 14, 2026, the National Institute of Statistics and Census of Argentina (INDEC, the country's official statistical agency) confirmed that inflation for June settled at 1.9%. This marks a significant milestone, breaking the 2% barrier for the first time in 10 months and aligning with forecasts from private consultants and the Central Bank's Market Expectations Survey (REM). This positive shift brings renewed optimism for the second half of the year.

Key Consumer Price Index (CPI) Highlights

To understand the local context, the CPI measures the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. Here are the main drivers for June:

• Core inflation: 1.6% (excludes volatile items like fresh food).
• Recreation and culture: +4.2%.
• Housing: +3.3%.
• Food and beverages: +1.3%, showing a clear deceleration.
• Poverty line (Canasta Básica): Increased by 2.2%. A typical Argentine family needed $1,531,473 ARS (Argentine Pesos) in June to avoid falling below the poverty line.

Financial Context and Future Projections

This encouraging inflation data is backed by a strong position from the Central Bank of the Argentine Republic (BCRA), which on a single day purchased USD 532 million—the highest amount of the year. The official exchange rate (the rate used for foreign trade and tourism) remained stable around $1,495 ARS per US Dollar. Meanwhile, the Argentine country risk (a metric indicating the likelihood of a sovereign debt default) sits at a comfortable level of 402 basis points.

Furthermore, on July 15, 2026, the Argentine Treasury will issue the Bonar 2029 (a sovereign bond in US Dollars maturing in 2029) for up to USD 2,000 million, after having paid USD 4,200 million in debt in previous days. In this promising scenario, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projects a 3.5% economic growth for Argentina, with a scheduled visit from its Managing Director, Kristalina Georgieva, on July 27, 2026.