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Release Date :
Reference Number :
2020-342

October 2020

1. Philippines

Bottom 30%

Inflation for the bottom 30% income households in the Philippines picked up further by 2.9 percent in October 2020, from 2.8 percent in September 2020. In October 2019, it was posted at -0.1 percent. (Table A, and Figure 1)

The year-to-date inflation for this income group of consumers was recorded at 2.7 percent.

The upward trend in the inflation for the bottom 30% income households was mainly due to the higher annual increment in the heavily-weighted food and non-alcoholic beverages index at 1.6 percent. Also contributing to the uptrend were the higher annual increases in the indices of clothing and footwear at 2.4 percent; and education at 1.5 percent.

On the contrary, annual increases slowed down during the month in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 14.3 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 1.8 percent; and health, 3.1 percent.

Except for recreation and culture, which still exhibited an annual decline of -0.1 percent during the month, the indices of the rest of the commodity groups retained their previous month’s positive annual growth rates. (Tables 3, and 4)

Food inflation at the country level moved up at a faster pace of 1.5 percent in October 2020, from 1.1 percent in the previous month. In October 2019, its annual rate dropped by -3.0 percent. (Table 7)

Annual mark-ups were higher in the indices of the following food groups during the month:

a. Corn, 0.8 percent;
b. Meat, 3.2 percent;
c. Fish, 3.5 percent;
d. Oils and fats, 2.3 percent; and
e. Food products, not elsewhere classified, 7.7 percent.

On the other hand, annual increments were slower in the indices of milk, cheese, and eggs at 3.8 percent; and fruits, 8.1 percent. Moreover, annual growth rates still went down in the indices of rice (-0.7%); vegetables (-0.6%); and sugar, jam, honey, chocolate and confectionery (-0.2%). The same previous month’s annual rate of 2.5 percent was, however, observed in the index for other cereals, flour,cereal preparation, bread, pasta, and other bakery products. (Table 5)

Table B. Year-on-Year Inflation Rates of the CPI for the
Bottom 30% Income Households in the Philippines, All Items
January 2016 – October 2020
(2012=100)

Month

Year

2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
January 0.7 2.0 3.6 5.2 2.3
February 0.8 2.2 4.4 4.3 2.1
March 0.8 2.2 5.0 3.4 2.4
April 0.6 2.4 5.2 3.1 2.9
May 1.0 2.1 5.4 3.2 2.9
June 1.2 2.1 5.4 3.1 3.0
July 1.1 1.9 6.2 2.5 2.9
August 1.0 2.3 6.9 1.7 2.7
September 1.2 2.5 8.0 0.2 2.8
October 1.5 2.7 8.1 -0.1 2.9
November 1.5 2.6 7.3 0.7
December 1.8 2.7 6.3 1.9
Average 1.1 2.3 6.0 2.4

Source: Survey of Retail Prices of Commodities for Consumer Price Index, Philippine Statistics Authority

2. National Capital Region (NCR)

Inflation of consumer items for the bottom 30% income households in NCR, likewise, accelerated to 3.7 percent in October 2020, from 2.8 percent in the previous month. In October 2019, inflation in the area was posted at 0.7 percent. (Tables A, and 3)

Higher annual rate recorded in the index for food, and non-alcoholic beverages at 4.0 percent primarily pushed up the inflation in NCR. In addition, annual increments were higher in the indices of the following commodity groups during the month:

a. Furnishing, household equipment, and routine maintenance of the house, 1.5 percent;
b. Transport, 23.3 percent;
c. Education, 0.7 percent; and
d. Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 1.7 percent.

On the contrary, annual increases decelerated in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 9.2 percent; health, 1.8 percent; and recreation and culture, 0.5 percent. Moreover, the communication index was still on a downtrend as its annual rate dropped by -0.5 percent during the month.

The indices of the rest of the commodity groups retained their previous month’s annual growth rates. (Tables 3, and 4)

3. Areas Outside NCR (AONCR)

Inflation for this particular income group in AONCR also went up by 2.9 percent in October 2020, from 2.8 percent in September 2020. In the same month in 2019, inflation in the area dropped by -0.1 percent. (Tables A, and 3)

A higher annual gain of 1.5 percent was noted in the indices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, and education during the month.

Meanwhile, annual upticks slowed down in the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco at 14.4 percent; housing, water, electricity, gas, and other fuels, 1.9 percent; and health, 3.1 percent. An annual rate of -0.1 percent was still registered in index of recreation and culture.

The indices of other commodity groups retained their previous month’s positive annual growth rates. (Tables 3, and 4)

Five regions outside NCR registered higher inflation for the bottom 30% income households in October 2020. Among regions outside NCR, the highest inflation during the month was observed in Region II (Cagayan Valley) at 4.0 percent, while the lowest remained in Region IX (Zamboanga Peninsula) at -0.1 percent. (Table 4)

Note:

CPIs and inflation rates for the bottom 30% income households by province and selected city are posted at the Philippine Statistics Authority website (http://openstat.psa.gov.ph/).

See more at the Consumer Price Index for Bottom 30% Income Households Main page.

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