The flags of Venezuela and BCV at the BCV headquarters in Caracas. Photo: BCV.
The Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV) reported that the country recorded an accumulated inflation of 475.28% in 2025. The inflationary process persists in 2026, with the consumer price index experiencing a cumulative increase of 51.96% during the first two months of the year, according to official BCV data released on Friday, March 6.
The inflation was 32.6% in January 2026 and 14.6% in February.
The BCV also reported the inflation data for each month of 2025:
December 13.6%
November 21.6%
October 25.9%
September 21.6%
August 16.1%
July 14.2%
June 10.3%
May 21.2%
April 16.4%
March 8.3%
February 10.9%
January 9.8%
Private economic firms estimated—before the BCV’s official announcement—that Venezuela’s accumulated inflation reached approximately 480% in 202. Inflation presents a persistent challenge to the country’s economic recovery process. This inflationary pressure remains a core concern for the government as well as private businesses. It persists despite the dual monetary environment where the US dollar has served as a reference for prices, wages, and payments since 2019.
Venezuela Reports 8.7% Economy Growth in 2025 Despite US Aggression; Inflation Persists
The widening gap between the official exchange rate and the parallel market rate continues to place a heavy burden on consumer prices. In 2025, the official exchange rate began at 52.02 bolívars per US dollar in January and ended at 301.37 bolívars per US dollar in December, representing a depreciation of 479.33%.
As of Friday, March 6, the official BCV exchange rate stands at 431.01 bolívars per US dollar, while the parallel market rate was 617.83 bolívars, based on USDT prices on the Binance P2P platform. These figures indicate that the US dollar in the parallel market is 43.34% more expensive than the official rate. This significant gap continues to incentivize the use of black-market references in retail transactions, maintaining constant upward pressure on inflation.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/SC/SF
