Hanoi, April 4 -- Vietnam's consumer prices index (CPI) in March edged up 1.23% from the previous month as surging global fuel costs and higher construction material expenses fed through to domestic prices, the Finance Ministry's National Statistics Office reported on April 4.

The March index gained 2.44% from December 2025 and posted a 4.65% year-on-year hike, the highest March reading in five years.

Price pressures broadened, with nine out of 11 major categories recording gains in March. Transport led the surge, skyrocketing 12.85% and contributing 1.28 percentage points to headline CPI as petrol prices exploded 29.72%, diesel jumped 57.03% amid the Middle East conflict-triggered supply disruptions, and air passenger fares soared 23.1...