The Central Bank of Armenia kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 6.5% during its June 2026 policy meeting, maintaining the stance from its previous meeting. The bank also kept its deposit rate at 5.0% and lending rate at 8.0%. The decision came as annual inflation eased to 4.2% in May from 5.3% in April. However, core inflation, edged higher to 5.1%, suggesting that underlying inflationary pressures remain elevated. The central bank's move reflects a balance between declining headline inflation and persistent core price growth. Meanwhile, Armenia’s GDP growth expanded by 4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2026, slowing sharply from a 9.8% growth in the previous quarter, marking the slowest growth since fourth quarter of 2024.