The 12-month moving average rate of inflation stood at 1.94 per cent in March, whereas the annual rate stood at 3.89 per cent, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

The Retail Price Index went up to 113.66 in March from 112.89 in February, an increase of 0.68 per cent.

This primarily reflected an increase of 6.06 per cent in the clothing and footwear index, mainly due to seasonal price increases. Higher prices for pasta, fish, vegetables and take-aways was the main cause behind an increase of 1.05 per cent in the food index.

The other goods and services index increased by 0.27 per cent, mainly on account on higher prices of non-durable household goods. The personal care and health index increased by 0.11 per cent due to a price rise in visual aid apparatus. Price increases in household textile articles underlay an increase of 0.06 per cent in the household equipment and house maintenance cost index.

Marginal increases were recorded in the housing index, the transport and communication index and the recreation and culture index. A marginal decrease was recorded in the beverages and tobacco index.