The Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) has released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of February 2020.
The CPI of February 2020 reached 98.42 point showing a slight increase of 0.04% when compared to CPI of January 2020.
Compared to CPI of January 2019, y-o-y basis, a decrease of 0.47% has been recorded in the general index (CPI) of this month.
This release of CPI, was the second Issuance using the new base of 2018, calculated from the results of the household income and expenditure survey 2017/2018.
An analysis on m-o-m basis of CPI for February 2020 compared with CPI, January 2020, shows that there are six main groups, where respective indices in this month have increased, namely: Transport by 2.26%; food and beverages by 0.51%; clothing and footwear by 0.43%; education and miscellaneous goods and services by 0.24% each.
A decrease has been recorded in recreation and culture by 3.54%; housing, water, electricity and other fuel by 0.16%; and restaurants and hotels by 0.13%. Tobacco, health and communication groups remained flat at the last month's price level.
A comparison of the CPI, February 2020 with the CPI, February 2019 (annual change), a decrease has been recorded in the general index (CPI), by 0.47%. This y-o-y price decrease primary due to the prices decline seen in the five groups namely: Recreation and culture by 6.8%, housing, water, electricity and other fuel by 3.84%, communication by 2.44%, clothing and footwear by 1.72% and furniture and household equipment by 0.44%. An increase has been shown in price levels in six groups namely: Transport by 4.83%; restaurants and hotels by 4.82%; health by 3.07%; miscellaneous goods and services by 1.77%, education by 1.18% and food and beverages by 1.00%. No changes recorded in tobacco group.
The CPI of January, 2020 excluding housing, water, electricity and other fuel group stands at 99.46 points showing an increase of 0.09% when compared to the index of January 2020, and an increase of 0.52% when compared to the CPI of February 2019.
