Month-on-Month Growth Rates

Compared to November 2012, the seasonally adjusted consumer price index (CPI) for all items went up 0.2 percent in December from 0.1 percent. The indices for furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; and education also grew by 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index, 0.2 percent from zero growth. Slower monthly increments were however noted in alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 0.4 percent from 0.5 percent and recreation and culture and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services indices, 0.1 percent from 0.3 percent. The index for clothing and footwear retained its last month’s rate of 0.3 percent.

Relative to the expected trend, seasonal factor such as the bigger demand for selected goods and services during the holiday season pulled down the indices for all items; alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; recreation and culture; education; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.

The month-on-month change of the seasonally adjusted CPI in NCR for non-food increased by 0.2 percent in December from zero growth in November and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house, 0.3 percent from 0.1 percent. On the other hand, the monthly uptick in the alcoholic beverages and tobacco index decelerated to 0.6 percent from 0.9 percent while the index for transport declined by 0.1 percent from -0.2 percent. The education index retained its previous month’s rate of 0.3 percent.

The higher demand for selected goods and services during the holiday season generally pushed down the alcoholic beverages and tobacco index; non-food index; transport index; and education index. This seasonal factor however raised the index for furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house during the month.

The seasonally adjusted CPI for alcoholic beverages and tobacco inched up 0.5 percent in December from 0.4 percent in November; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index, 0.2 percent from zero growth; and health and education indices, 0.3 percent from 0.2 percent. The increase in the seasonally adjusted CPI for clothing and footwear and recreation and culture however correspondingly slowed down to 0.2 percent and 0.1 percent in December from 0.3 percent in November. Meanwhile, movement in the index for furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house remained at 0.3 percent and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services index, 0.2 percent.

The seasonal factor of increased demand for selected goods and services during the holiday season generally pulled down the indices for alcoholic beverages and tobacco; clothing and footwear; housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; health; recreation and culture; education; and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services.