Inflation rate at 0.74%

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 0.74% in August compared to the same month last year, according to the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC). The most significant increases were seen in education (+5.03%), miscellaneous goods and services (+2.57%) and health (+2.05%). Prices also climbed for food and non-alcoholic beverages (+0.90%) and housing and fuels (+0.81%), mainly due to higher costs for dining out, vegetables and liquefied petroleum gas, along with rising rents. Conversely, transport prices fell 3.11%, and household equipment and services dropped 0.36%. For the first eight months of this year, the average CPI increased 0.93% compared to 2023.