The Planning and Statistics Authority (PSA) has released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for the month of June 2021.

The CPI of June 2021 reached to 97.85 points showing a decrease by 0.20 percent when compared to CPI of May 2021. Compared to CPI of June 2020, Y-o-Y basis, an increase of 1.98 percent has been recorded in the general index (CPI) of this month.

This release of CPI, which measures inflation, includes twelve main groups of consumer goods, under which 737 commodities and services fall, using the base of 2018, calculated from the results of the household income and Expenditure survey 2017/2018.

An analysis on M-o-M basis of CPI for June 2021 compared with CPI, May 2021, showed that there were seven main groups, where respective indices in this month have decreased, namely: "Clothing and Footwear" by 2.06 percent, followed by "Recreation and Culture" by 1.99 percent, "Communication" by 1.00 percent, "Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel" by 0.35 percent, "Transport" by 0.21 percent, and "Furniture and Household Equipment" and "Miscellaneous Goods and Services" by 0.03 percent each.

An increase has been recorded in "Food and Beverages" by 1.29 percent, "Education" by 0.26 percent, and "Restaurants and Hotels" by 0.73 percent. "Tobacco", "Health" had remained flat at the last months price level.

A comparison of the CPI, June 2021 with the CPI, June 2020 (Annual Change), an increase has been recorded in the general index (CPI), by 1.98 percent. This Y-o-Y price increase primary due to the prices rising in eight groups namely: "Transport" by 9.38 percent, followed by "Recreation and Culture" by 6.71 percent, "Restaurants and Hotels" by 6.37 percent, Education" by 3.99 percent, "Furniture and Household Equipment" by 3.18 percent, "Miscellaneous Goods and Services" by 3.14 percent, "Communication" by 2.99 percent, and "Food and Beverages" by 2.09 percent.

A decrease has been shown in price levels of three groups namely: Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel" by 6.50 percent, "Clothing and Footwear" by 4.72 percent, and "Health" by 0.07 percent. No changes recorded on "Tobacco".

The CPI of June 2021, excluding "Housing, Water, Electricity and other Fuel" group, stands at 100.68 points recorded a decrease by 0.17 percent, when compared to the index of May 2021, and an increase by 4.18 percent when compared to the CPI of June 2020.(QNA)