- 0.2% monthly increase on CPI of March 2017, compared with the previous month.
- 0.9% annual increase on CPI of March 2017, compared with March 2016.
The Ministry of Development Planning & Statistics (MDPS) has released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of March 2017. The CPI of March, 2017 reached to 108.6 ( base year is 2013) showing an increase by 0.2%, when compared to CPI of February, 2017. Compared to CPI of March, 2016, [Y-o-Y basis] of 0.9% has been recorded in the general index (CPI) of this month.
An analysis [on M-o-M basis] of CPI for March, 2017 compared with February, 2017 CPI, shows that there are four main groups, where respective indices in this month have increased, namely: “Transport” by 1.5%, “Recreation and Culture” by 0.7%, “Clothing and Footwear” by 0.4%, “Restaurants and Hotels “by 0.1%. A decrease in prices is also noticed in “Food and Beverages” by 0.6%, and “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 0.4%. The other groups: “Tobacco”, “Furniture and Household Equipment”, “Health”, “Communication”, “Education”, and “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” , have remained flat at the last month’s price level. Graph (1) and (2) show the movement of monthly CPIs of “Food and Beverages” and “Housing, Water, Electricity and Gas”.
A comparison of the CPI, March, 2017 with the CPI, March, 2016 (Annual Change), points a rise in the general index (CPI), by 0.9%. This [Y-o-Y] price surge is primarily due to the increasing prices seen in the five groups, namely: “Transport” by 8.0%”, “Education” by 3.0%, “Furniture and Household Equipment” and “Miscellaneous Goods and Services” by 1.4% each, and “Clothing and Footwear” by 0.2%. Also, there has been a decrease in price levels in six groups, namely: “Restaurants and Hotels” by 2.8%, “Recreation and Culture” by 1.6%, “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” by 1.0%, “Food and Beverages” by 0.4%, “Health” by 0.2%, and “Communication” by 0.1%. For “Tobacco” group, there is no changes recorded. Table (1) and Graph (3) shows the monthly and annual comparison for CPI of March 2017, also graph (4) shows a monthly and an annual change in CPI during March 2016 to March 2017.
The CPI of March, 2017 excluding “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” group stands at 107.0, showing an increase by 0.4% when compared to the index of February 2017, and a 1.5% when compared to the CPI of March 2016. Table (2) presents CPI excluding “Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel” and Graph (5) shows the monthly percentage change of CPI with and without Housing component.
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