CPI indicates food price increase

The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI) indicates that food prices between October 2017 and October 2018 rose again by 4.7 percent, with inflation on all consumer products rising by 1.7 percent.
Among the various food items that saw an increase in prices over the last year, fish products and fruit juices saw a nearly 20 percent increase over a 12-month period.
In a press release yesterday, the Statistics Division announced that the price for meat products in supermarkets have increased by 7.2 percent, the second largest increase among all food groups.
Dairy products such as milk and cheese increased by 7.5 percent, with milk prices rising by 11.7 percent.
Breakfast products such as cereal and bakery items saw a 1.3 percent increase, with cereal increasing by 6.3 percent.
Jams and jellies saw the largest increase in prices for an individual food product, with a 40 percent increase over the last year.
Other products such as clothing, footwear, furniture and medical expenses, have also increased over the last year. Pharmaceuticals, in particular, were reported to have increased by 2.6 percent.
Alcoholic drinks and tobacco decreased by 2.6 percent, with the Index for Alcoholic Beverages falling by 3.9 percent. Prices for personal care products have also decreased by 4.1 percent.
During the months of September 2018 and October 2018, inflation rose by 0.2 percent, with the largest increases in food prices coming from cereal with 3.1 percent, beef at 3.4 percent, and starchy foods at 5.1 percent.