First half Y-o-Y inflation at 0.8 per cent in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi, July 24, 2013 (WAM)- Consumer inflation was 0.9 per cent over the first half of 2013 compared with the same period in 2012. In June 2013 consumer price index (CPI) advanced 0.9 per cent y-o-y and 0.5 per cent m-o-m, according to Statistics centre-Abu Dhabi (SCAD). SCAD held today a press conference to announce a number of new statistical initiatives that are poised to play a significant role in supporting decision- and policy-makers in the emirate. Prominent among these is the newly launched CPI by region, which presents the CPI results for each of the three regions of Abu Dhabi Emirate, thereby providing a greater level of accuracy for price monitoring authorities, consumer protection purposes and all interested users. During the conference the first issue of the report was reviewed, presenting analyses of the CPI results for the first half of 2013, with 2007 as the base year, detailed by geographic region (for the three regions of the Emirate, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia). Over in the first half of 2013 consumer inflation in Abu Dhabi region was 0.8 per cent, compared with the same period of 2012, as shown by the increase in the CPI from 123.6 points during the first half of 2013, up from 122.6 points during the first six months of 2012. The CPI increased by 0.8 per cent from 123.2 points in June 2012 to 124.2 points in June 2013. Compared with May 2013, the CPI advanced 0.5 per cent in June 2013. Y-o-y consumer inflation during the second quarter of 2013 was 0.6 per cent, as shown by the increase in the CPI to 123.7 points during the second quarter of 2013, up from 122.9 points during Q2 2012. The second quarter of 2013 also saw the CPI edge up 0.1 per cent compared with Q1 2013. As SCAD’s report finds, average consumer prices rose by 0.5 per cent in June 2013 compared with May 2013. The rise reflects the net change in the consumer basket prices (resulting from upward and downward movement) during the two periods compared. The major expenditure groups that saw increases in June 2013 were the "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" group (up 1.2 per cent) and the "Restaurants and hotels" group (up 2.3 per cent. Compared with June 2012, consumer prices rose by 0.8 per cent on average in June 2013. The CPI rose from 123.2 points to 124.2 points between the aforesaid periods. Price rises in June 2013 were led by the increases in "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" group, which moved up by 7.5 per cent, "Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance" group by 3.3 per cent, "Transport" group by 2.8 per cent, "Miscellaneous goods and services" by 2.7 per cent and "Hotel and restaurants" group by 2.4 per cent. Meanwhile, the "Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" group edged down 0.1 per cent. During the first half of 2013, the inflation rate in Al Ain region was 0.9, compared with the same period in 2012: the CPI crept to 123.5 points, up from 122.4 points over the first six months of 2012 The CPI increased 1.0 per cent from 122.9 points in June 2012 to 124.1 points in June 2013 SCAD also reported a 0.5 per cent increase in Al Ain CPI June 2013, compared with May 2013 Compared with the Q2 2012, consumer inflation hovered around 0.9 per cent in the second quarter of 2013, reflecting an increase in the CPI from 122.7 points during the second quarter of 2012 to 123.7 points during Q2 2013 The CPI increased by 0.3 in the second quarter of 2013 compared with the first quarter of 2012. Average consumer prices rose 0.5 per cent in June 2013 compared with May 2013. The rise reflects the change in the consumer basket prices (resulting from upward and downward movement) during the two periods compared Price rises in June 2013 were led by the increase in "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" group (up 1.4 per cent) and the "Clothing and footwear" group (up 1.0 per cent). The average consumer prices rose 1.0 per cent in June 2013 by compared with June 2012 as the CPI rose from 122.9 points in June 2012 to 124.1 points in June 2013. The main increases in June 2013 were observed in the "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" group, which by 2.7 per cent, "Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance" group by 5.6 per cent, "Clothing and footwear" group by 3.4 per cent and "Miscellaneous goods and services" by 2.2 per cent. In Al Gharbia region consumer inflation was 0.9 per cent during the first half of 2013, compared with the first six months of 2012, as seen from the increase in the CPI from 121.8 points to 122.8 points between the two periods compared. The consumer price index increased 0.9 per cent in June 2013, compared with June 2012, as the CPI increased from 122.5 points in June 2012 to 123.5 points in June 2013. The CPI also advanced by 0.4 per cent in June 2013 compared with May 2013. According to the report, consumer prices increased by 0.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2013 compared with the same period in 2012, reflecting and seen from the rise in the CPI from 122.6 points during Q2 2012 to 123.1 points during Q2 2013. The CPI increased by 0.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2013 compared with the first quarter of 2013. Average consumer prices rose by 0.4 per cent in June 2013 compared with May 2013. The rise reflects the change in the consumer basket prices (resulting from upward and downward movement) during the two periods compared. The largest price rise in June 2013 was observed in the "Food and non-alcoholic beverages group, which advanced 1.1 per cent compared with the previous month. Average consumer prices increased by 0.9 per cent in June 2013 compared with June 2012, as shown by the CPI rise from 122.5 points in June 2012 to 123.5 points in June 2013. The largest increases y-o-y in June 2013 were observed in the "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" group (up 6.1percent), "Miscellaneous goods and services" (up 4.1 per cent) and "Restaurants and hotels" (up 3.6 per cent). Conversely, the "Clothing and footwear" group decreased by 11.6 per cent and the "Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" group by 0.2 per cent y-o-y in June 2013. Emirates News Agency, WAM