Month-on-Month Growth Rates

On a monthly basis, the seasonally adjusted CPI for all items at the national level inched up by 0.4 percent in July from 0.3 percent in June. It resulted from a higher monthly increment posted in alcoholic beverages and tobacco index at 0.8 percent in July from 0.7 percent in June; health index, 0.4 percent from 0.2 percent; and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels index, 0.1 percent from -1.1 percent. On the other hand, the monthly increase in restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services index eased to 0.1 percent from 0.2 percent and education index, 0.4 percent from 1.0 percent. The indices of clothing and footwear and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house retained their last month’s rates while no movement was noticed in recreation and culture index.

The lean season during the month of July pushed up 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 relative to the expected trend.

In NCR, upward adjustments were registered in alcoholic beverages and tobacco index at 0.6 percent in July from 0.5 percent in June and in non-food index, 0.2 percent from -0.4 percent. However, a negative rate was noted in the transport index at -0.1 percent from its last month’s growth of 0.3 percent. Moreover, slower monthly gains were observed in furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house index at 0.2 percent from 0.4 percent and in education index, 0.3 percent from 1.8 percent.

Relative to the expected trend, seasonal factor experienced during the lean month of July raised the indices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; non-food; furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house; transport; and education.

In AONCR, the seasonally adjusted CPI for health rose 0.3 percent in July from 0.1 percent in June and restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 0.2 percent from 0.1 percent. Meanwhile, a slow-paced increase was noticed in the education index at 0.5 percent from 0.7 percent. The same previous month’s rates were recorded in alcoholic beverages and tobacco index (0.8%) and in clothing and footwear and furnishing, household equipment and routine maintenance of the house indices (0.2%). The indices for housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels and recreation and culture remained stable as they posted zero growths.

The lean season moved up the indices of 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 during the month.