The consumer price index (CPI) for March 2016 registered 180, with a rate increase of 1.4% compared to February 2016, the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS) reported on Sunday.
CPI is a measure of changes in the purchasing power of currency and the rate of inflation.
The statement attributed the inflation increase to the increase in rice prices by 10.7%, meat and poultry by 2.0%, pharmaceutical products and medicine by 7.7%, takeaway by 3.5%, vegetables by 1.2%, fish and seafood by 4.3%, fruit by 3.4%, and tea by 7.5%. Egg prices, meanwhile, decreased by 3.3%.
The annual inflation rate in March 2016 decreased to 9.2% compared to March 2015.
Food and beverage prices registered an increase of 2.0%, which represents a 1.03% increase compared to last year.
Furniture and home supply products registered an increase of 0.3%, which represents a 0.01% increase compared to last year due to the increase in home appliance prices by 2.2%, in addition to an increase in glassware and cutlery prices by 1.8%.
“Healthcare products increased by 3.9%, which represents a 0.2% increase compared to last year due to the price increase of pharmaceutical products by 7.7%,” according to CAPMAS.
The statement added that transportation and communications increased by 0.5%, which represents a 0.02% increase compared to last year due to the increase in car prices by 2.7%.
Restaurant and hotel prices increased by 3.5%, which represents a 0.17% increase compared to last year due to the rise in takeaway meal prices by 3.5%.
