Inflation rates hits 11.40% in May

The consumer price index, (CPI) which measures inflation increased by 11.40 percent (year-on-year) in May 2019.

This is 0.03 percent points higher than the rate recorded in April 2019 (11.37 percent).

On month-on-month basis, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its CPI and Inflation Report for May 2019, stated that Headline index increased by 1.11 percent in May 2019. This is 0.17 percent rate higher than the rate recorded in April 2019 (0.94 percent). 


The percentage change in the average composite CPI for the twelve months period ending May 2019, over the average of the CPI for the previous twelve months period was 11.30 percent, 0.01 percent points from 11.31 percent recorded in April 2019.

The report stated that composite food index rose by 13.79 percent in May 2019 compared to 13.70 percent in April 2019. “This rise in the food index was caused by increases in prices of Meat, Oils and fats, Bread and cereals, Potatoes, yam and other tubers, Fish, Milk, cheese and egg, and Vegetables.“

On month-on-month basis, the food sub-index increased by 1.41 percent in May 2019, up by 0.27 percent points from 1.14 percent recorded in April 2019.

The Statistics Bureau noted that Core inflation stood at 9.0 percent in May 2019, down by 0.3 percent when compared with 9.3 percent recorded in April 2019.

On month-on-month basis, the core sub-index increased by 0.75 percent in May 2019. This was up by 0.05 percent when compared with 0.70 percent recorded in April 2019.

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