The prices of commodities used for the calculation of Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased significantly in September, according to the report on the CPI and inflation issued by the Central Statistical Organization (CSO).
The CPI reached 145.97 per cent in late September, up 8.59 per cent. The CSO classifies the groups to calculate the CPI.
Compared to the same period last year, the CPI of the food group increased by 8.55 per cent in September, the tobacco and beverage group by 7.15 per cent, the cloth group by 3.54 per cent, the house rental and repairing cost group by 9.03 per cent, the transportation group by 15.68 per cent, the communication group by 0.62 per cent, the recreation and culture group by 2.60 per cent, the education group, by 8.69 per cent, the street-food group, by 8.56 per cent, the general commodity group by 6.28 per cent and the non-food item group, by 8.69 per cent, according to the CSO.
According to the calculation using 2012 as a base year, the CPI hit 135.70 per cent in October, 2017, 139.51 per cent in late February, 139.11 per cent in late March, 139.82 per cent in late April and 141.13 per cent in late June.
An increase in commodity prices is linked to heavy rains and road blockages that had stemmed commodity and trade flow, according to the CSO.
In November, 2012, the CSO conducted a household income and consumption survey on 32,669 households in 82 townships across the country. The CSO took samples from 438 goods and services. The calculation of CPI covers 274 items—108 in the food group and 166 in the non-food group.
