Lowest inflation recorded for year

By: JO-MARÉ DUDDY

ANNUAL inflation in May dropped for the third month in a row, reaching six per cent, its lowest level so far this year. The last time annual inflation stood at six per cent, was last November. Last May inflation was 5,2 per cent.

Food inflation decrease on an annual basis from 8,5 per cent in April to 7,7 per cent in May.
In this category, bread and cereals were down from 7,6 per cent to 6,7 per cent, while meat fell from 14,3 per cent to 13,4 per cent. Fish remained deflationary territory, but rose from minus 6,4 per cent to minus four per cent.
Annual inflation for milk, cheese and eggs decreased from 3,4 per cent to 1,7 per cent, while vegetables dipped from 3,3 per cent to 3,2 per cent.
However, annual inflation for oil, fruit and sugar all climbed. As did inflation for alcoholic beverages and tobacco, up from eight per cent to 8,5 per cent. Transport inflation accelerated from 7,5 per cent to eight per cent. The effect of the fuel price increases of recent months was also visible in the sub category of operation of personal transport equipment, which rose from 13,5 per cent to 13,6 per cent.
Annual inflation for hotels, cafes and restaurant doubled from April, reaching 4,6 per cent. Recreation and culture also edged up from 8,6 per cent to 8,8 per cent. Clothing and footwear, as well as housing, water, electricity and gas dropped slightly. But furnishings, household equipment and routine maintenance decrease considerably from 6,2 per cent to 4,8 per cent.

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