Consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation increased by 12.40 per cent (year-on-year) in May 2020.
National Bureau of Statistics (NBS ) made this known on it website on Wednesday.
According to its Consumer Price Index May 2020 report, this present figure is 0.06 per cent points higher than the rate recorded in April 2020 (12.34) per cent.
The report said on a month-on-month basis, the Headline index increased by 1.17 per cent in May 2020, this is 0.15 per cent rate higher than the rate recorded in April 2020 (1.02) per cent.
NBS noted that the “urban inflation rate increased by 13.03 per cent (year-on-year) in May 2020 from 13.01 per cent recorded in April 2020, while the rural inflation rate increased by 11.83 per cent in May 2020 from 11.73
per cent in April 2020.
“On a month-on-month basis, the urban index rose by 1.18 per cent in May 2020, up by 0.12 points from 1.06 per cent recorded in April 2020, while the rural index also rose by 1.16 per cent in May 2020, up by 0.18 points from the rate recorded in April 2020 (0.90 per cent).”
The corresponding twelve-month year-on-year average percentage change for the urban index is 12.36
per cent in May 2020, said the report.
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It added that this is higher than 12.26 per cent reported in April 2020, while the corresponding rural inflation rate in May 2020 is 11.26 per cent compared to 11.20 per cent recorded in April 2020.
In the period under review, NBS said the percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve months period ending May 2020 over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve months period was 11.79 per cent, showing 0.08 per cent point from 11.71 per cent recorded in April 2020.
The document said: “Composite food index rose by 15.04 per cent year on year in May 2020 compared to 15.03 per cent in April 2020. “This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of Bread and cereals, Potatoes, yam and other tubers, Oils and Fats, Fruits, Fish and Meat.
“The average annual rate of change of the Food sub-index for the twelve-month period ending May 2020
over the previous twelve-month average was 14.33 per cent, 0.11 points from the average annual rate of
change recorded in April 2020 (14.22 per cent).”
The report said the ”All items less farm produce” or Core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce stood at 10.12 per cent in May 2020, up by 0.14 per cent when compared with 9.98 per cent
recorded in April 2020.
NBS stressed that the highest increases were recorded in prices of pharmaceutical products, Medical services, Repair of furniture, Hospital services, Passenger transport by road, Motor car, Bicycles, Maintenance and repair of
personal transport equipment, Passenger transport by sea and inland waterways, Paramedical services,
Motorcycles and Hairdressing salons and personal grooming establishment.
It said the average 12-month annual rate of change of the index was 9.27 per cent for the twelve-month period
ending May 2020; this is 0.1 per cent points higher than 9.17 per cent recorded in April 2020.
