KUWAIT: Kuwait’s consumer prices index (CPI) or inflation rate rose in March 2015 by 3.33 percent year-on-year compared with the same month of last year, the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) announced here the other day.
In its monthly report, the CSB stated however that the inflation rate rose by 0.74 percent month-on-month in March 2015 more than its levels last February. The index figure during the month of March 2015 recorded a rise of seven major groups with influential figures in the movement and low standard of four groups, it said, adding that only one group remained unchanged month-on-month.
Food and beverages
The group of food and beverage rose in March by 1.72 compared with the same month of 2014, while the group rose by 0.14 percent month-on-month compared with last February, it added. The report showed that the consumer prices index of tobacco and narcotics went up last month by 11.87 percent year-on-year and by 0.13 percent month-on-month. The CPI of clothing and footwear dropped by 0.31 percent year-on-year and by 0.08 percent month-on-month, however the CPI of furnishing equipment and household maintenance increased by 3.95 percent year-on-year and by 0,42 percent compared with last February, it noted. The CPI of the health went up in March by 2.07 percent year-on-year and by 55 percent month-on-month. The CPI of transport rose by 0.81 percent year-on-year and by declined by 32 percent month-on-month, it said. Meanwhile, the CPI of communications increased by 0.10 percent year-on-year and remained unchanged month-on-month.
Recreation and culture
The report pointed out that the CPI of recreation and culture rose by 0.93 percent year-onyear and dropped by 0.08 percent. While consumer prices of education group soared by 5.23 percent year-on-year and by 0.15 percent month-on-month. The CPI of restaurants and hotels by 5.12 percent year-on-year and retreated by 0.15 percent month-on-month. The CPI of miscellaneous goods and services rose by 2.59 percent year-on-year and by 0.15 percent month-on-month, while the CPI of housing services soared by 6.35 percent year-on-year and by 2.18 percent month-on-month, the report made clear. The Central Statistical Bureau issues a monthly report on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI), which gives indications of the rates of changes in prices for the commodity groups influencing the families’ expenditure and the ability of consumer spending. This index uses the year 2007 as the base year.
