February CPI up 0.45% as petrol, housing prices increase

This month’s CPI and core inflation increased by 4.6% and 5.08% year-on-year, respectively.

Among the 11 main commodity groups, five marked a month-on-month increase in prices, and the rest registered a decline.

Transport services reported the highest rise of 2.11% mostly due mainly to a 5.66% increase in oil and petrol cost, followed by housing and construction materials at 1.81% partly because of gas prices being up 14.56% since February 1.

The prices of other goods and services; household equipment and appliances; and medicine and health services inched up by 0.12%, 0.09%, 0.02%, respectively.

In contrast, the cost of education; restaurant services; beverage and tobacco; post and telecommunications services; apparel, footwear and hat; culture, entertainment and tourism were cut by 0.57%, 0.17%, 0.12%, 0.08%, and 0.02%, respectively.