"The MAU tracks market prices in Central and Northern Rakhine State and Chin State. Data are collected from three vendors per product per market in the last week of each month. Data and product specifications are available online through the MPR dashboard at www.themimu.info/market-analysis-unit. KEY FINDINGS Essential food prices skyrocked in December, as prices for cooking oil and pulses doubled; Vegetable prices added 50% to last month's hikes, as some prices doubled once more; Meat and fish prices rose 23% in many cases, and most NFI prices started the year at least 7% higher; Rathedaung and Maungdaw saw the most price hikes, but no markets were spared rising prices; Cooking oil and pulses are increasingly out of reach for many households following December's price hikes; Village-level access to goods will grow uncertain, as armed conflict shutters markets in multiple towns; Disruptions in Sittwe will affect supply regionwide, although high prices may reach crisis-levels soonest in Rathedaung and Muangdaw where hikes have surged. Product-Level Price Changes Essential Foods – Essential food prices skyrocketed in December as prices for pulses and cooking oil doubled. Most markets monitored saw cooking oil prices double in December, while prices for pulses popped 43% in some markets and 100-200% in others. Rice prices spiked in Sittwe and Maungdaw, although they held steady elsewhere. Vegetables – Vegitable prices bounded higher, often adding 50% increases to last month's price hikes. Most markets saw garlic, green chili, and onion prices climb 50%, 80%, and 200%, respectively. Prices for eggplant, long bean, and watercress typically rose 20-40%. These increases compounded November's increases of 100-300%. Rathedaung saw the largest vegetable price hikes in December. Meat and Fish – Meat and fish prices again rose slower than other foods, but they too added at least 23% in most cases. Price hikes for meat/fish were more moderate in Sittwe—and prices were fairly stable in Minbya—but elsewhere prices lurched higher. Dried fish rose 11-62%, fish paste rose 33-140%, and shrimp climbed 67-110%. Hygiene Products – Prices for most hygiene products climbed at least 14% in December. Toothpaste prices rose 11-34% in December, while prices for sanitary pads rose 5-73%. Soap and detergent prices were stable or rising in December, but retailers reported stockouts of some common soaps. Other NFIs – Prices for other NFIs also climbed by 7% or more in December, and charcoal prices doubled. Charcoal prices increased 36-100% in December, although prices held stable in Sittwe. Retailers in several markets reported stockouts of blankets. Most other NFIs saw price increases of 4-18%, while Rathedaung registered the deepest price hikes..."