Price index jumps in September

The Retail Price Index jumped by almost one percent in September alone, figures issued this morning by the NSO show.

The index rose to 116.84 from 115.88 in August. The increase was of 4.13% compared to September last year.

This primarily reflected an increase of 7.92 per cent in the Clothing and Footwear Index, while the Food Index went up by 2.43 percent, mainly on account of higher prices of fish, fruit and vegetables.

The Personal Care and Health Index registered an increase of 0.39 percent, while the Beverages and Tobacco Index increased by 0.25 percent.

The Household Equipment and House Maintenance Cost Index increased by 0.15 percent, while the Transport and Communication Index registered a decrease of 1.09 per cent. The Recreation and Culture Index decreased by 0.33 per cent while the Housing Index decreased by 0.06 percent due to lower prices of materials used in the construction industry.

In September the 12-month moving average rate of inflation stood at 3.73 percent, up from 3.54% in August, while the annual rate stood at 4.13 per cent, from 4.42 in August.