Consumer Price Index (CPI) in late December reached 161.72 per cent, up 9.45 per cent compared with the same period last year, according to the report on the CPI and inflation rate issued by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO).

According to the calculations using 2012 as a base year, the CPI for the food group hit 174.13 per cent, the non-food group, 144.26 per cent and all groups, 161.72 per cent in late December. An increase in the CPI is due to a significant increase in commodity prices.

In late December, Mandalay saw the highest with 15.38 per cent and Rakhine, the lowest with 3.16 per cent.

In November, 2012, the CSO conducted a household income and consumption survey on 32,669 households in 82 townships across the country. The survey covered 438 goods and services.

For the calculation of CPI, the CSO took samples from 274 items—108 for the food group and 166 for the non-food group.

In late December, the average inflation rate was 8.81 per cent and the year-on-year inflation, 9.45 per cent.