The Retail Price Index in October registered the second-lowest annual inflation rate since January 2018, but it was an increase from the previous month. According to figures by the National Statistics Office for October, the annual rate of inflation stood at 0.35 as measured by the Retail Price Index.
Personal Care and Health products recorded an annual rate increase of 2.83 percent, the highest among the groupings followed by Food products (+1.81 percent) and Housing (+1.51%). On the other hand, Food generated the biggest upward impact on annual inflation, with 0.39 percentage points compared with second-placed Personal Health and Care (+0.25pp) and third-placed Housing (+0.12pp).
Costs related to Household Equipment and Maintenance scored the lowest inflation rates year-on-year with a decrease of 2.53 percent. Transport and Communication products and the Water, Gas, Electricity, and Fuels category registered the next deepest dips at -1.60 percent and -0.52 percent, respectively.
Transport and Communication produced the largest downward impact on inflation (-0.35pp), followed by Household Equipment and Maintenance Costs (-.18pp).
The least change was observed in Recreation and Culture, with a decrease of 0.10 from October 2019, producing a downward impact of -0.01 percentage point. Compared with September, however, the category registered a monthly rise in the inflation rate of 3.33 percent, smaller only than Clothing and Footwear (+5.36%).
The monthly inflation rate for Food, including restaurant service and takeaway, rose by 0.45 percent while it decreased by 1.02 percent for Transport and Communication.
