Kuwait’s inflation up 2.7 pct in May – CSB

Food, beverages price rises by 0.13 pct

KUWAIT CITY, June 20, (KUNA): The Consumer Prices Index (CPI) has risen by 2.7 percent in May year-on-year, the Central Statistical Bureau (CSB) said on Tuesday.

The index figure for May 2017 recorded an increase of 0.07 percent, compared to April, the CSB added in its monthly report.

The CPI increased in seven influential groups last month, and stability in five others.

The index for the first main group (food and beverages) went up by 0.13 percent, compared to the same month in 2016.

The figure of the second main group (tobacco and narcotics) was up by 0.59 percent in May monthon-month, as the third group (clothing and footwear) rose by 0.31 on monthly basis.

Inflation of the fourth group (housing services) shot up by 4.28 percent in May, and that of the fifth group (furnishing equipment and household maintenance) was up by 2.94 percent.

The sixth group (health) rose by 1.7 percent in May year-on-year, and the seventh (transport) went up by 12.33 percent on annual basis.

Meanwhile, the index for the eighth group (communication) was down by 0.10 percent in May compared to the same month last year.

The ninth group (recreation and culture) also went down on an annual basis of 0.62 percent, as but the 10th group (education) was down by 1.15 on annual basis.

As for the 11th group (restaurants and hotels), it edged up 4.47 percent on annual basis, and the last group (miscellaneous goods and service) witnessed an annual fall of 0.8 percent.