• 0.4% monthly decrease on CPI of August 2017, compared with the previous month.
• 0.4% annual decrease on CPI of August 2017, compared with August 2016.

The Ministry of Development Planning & Statistics (MDPS) has released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of August 2017. The CPI of August, 2017 reached to 108.3 (base year is 2013) showing a decrease by 0.4%, when compared to CPI of July, 2017, and to CPI of August 2016.
    
 An analysis [on M-o-M basis] of CPI for August, 2017 compared with July, 2017 CPI, shows that there are four main groups, where respective indices in this month have decreased, namely: “Recreation and Culture” by 2.2%, “Food and Beverages” by 0.6%, “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 0.4%. “Transport” by 0.3%. An increase in prices is also noticed in. “Clothing and Footwear” by 1.6%. and  “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 0.7%. The other groups: “Tobacco”, “Furniture and Household Equipment” “ Health”, “Communication”, “Education” “Restaurants and Hotels have remained flat at the last month’s price level.

              A comparison of the CPI, August, 2017 with the CPI, August, 2016 (Annual Change), a decline have been recorded in  the general index (CPI), by 0.4%. This [Y-o-Y] price drop is primarily due to the decreasing  prices seen in the seven groups, namely: “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 4.0%, “Recreation and Culture” by 3.8%, “Clothing and Footwear” by 3.1%, “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 1.6%, “Restaurants and Hotels” by 0.7%, “Communication” by 1.1%, “Furniture and Household Equipment” by 0.7%. Also, there has been an increase in price levels in four  groups, namely: “Transport” by 6.3%”, following by “Education” by 3.0%, “Food and Beverages” and  “Health” by 2.8% each, and No changes recorded in “Tobacco” group. 
  
The CPI of August, 2017 excluding “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” group stands at 107.6 showing  a decrease  of 0.4 % when compared to the index of July 2017, and  an increase of 0.7%  when compared to the CPI of August 2016.

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