BREAKING: Inflation Rises For First Time In 18 Months

The consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation increased by 11.23 percent (year-on-year) in August 2018, the National Bureau of Statistics reports.

In its CPI report, released on Friday, the latest figure is 0.09 percent points higher than the rate recorded in July 2018 (11.14) percent and represents the first year on year rise in headline inflation following eighteenth consecutive disinflation in headline inflation.

According to the report, increases were recorded in all Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yielded the Headline index.

“On month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 1.05 percent in August 2018, down by 0.08 percent points from the rate recorded in July 2018 (1.13) percent),” the report stated.

“The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve months period ending August 2018 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve months period was 13.55 percent, showing 0.4 percent point from 13.95 percent recorded in July 2018.

“The urban inflation rate increased by 11.67 percent (year-on-year) in August 2018 from 11.66 percent recorded in July 2018, while the rural inflation rate increased by 10.84 percent in August 2018 from 10.83 percent in July 2018.

“On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.00 percent in August 2018, down by 0.23 from 1.23 percent recorded in July, while the rural index also rose by 0.96 percent in August 2018, down by 0.22 percent from the rate recorded in July 2018 (1.18) percent.

“The corresponding twelve-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index is 13.95 percent in August 2018. This is less than 14.33 percent reported in July 2018, while the corresponding rural inflation rate in August 2018 is 13.21 percent compared to 13.64 percent recorded in July 2018.”