Dubai Statistics Center (DSC) has released its February’s report on the Annual Consumer Price Index (CPI) which revealed that it hit a drop level by 3.91% in February 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. CPI decreases due to a decline in prices of Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas by 6.09% leading inflation to go down by 2.65 points, transportation group by 7.26% pushing inflation down by 0.78-point, Miscellaneous Goods and Services group by 3.87% decreasing inflation rate by 0.23 point, Clothing and Footwear by 9.65% leading inflation rate to decline by 0.20 point, Food and Beverages 0.99% to lessen inflation rate by 0.12 point, Recreation and Culture group by 2.70% pushing the inflation rate down by 0.05 point, Communications by 0.40% leading inflation rate to drop by 0.02 point and Health group by 0.23%.
In the meantime, CPI of Restaurants and Hotels group rose by 2.36% leading the inflation rate to rise by 0.10-point, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance group declined by 1.03% pushing the inflation rate up by 0.04-point, Tobacco increased by 2.81% adding to the inflation rate 0.02 point and Education rose by 0.03%.
CPI Falls by 0.45% in February 2019
As for the CPI of February 2019 compared to January 2018, it witnessed a decrease by 0.45%. Grounds for such a decline are attributed to a drop in Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and other Fuel by 0.59% leading inflation rate to decrease by 0.25-point, Food and Beverages by 0.61% pushing the inflation rate down by 0.08-point, Transportation group by 0.68% leading to a drop by 0.07 point in the inflation rate, Recreation and Culture group by 4.75% leading inflation rate to decrease by 0.10-point, Clothing and Footwear went down by 3.66% pushing the inflation rate down by 0.07 point and Tobacco by 0.06%.
Meanwhile, prices of certain groups witnessed an increase, including: Miscellaneous Goods and Services group by 0.35% resulted in an increase in inflation rate by 0.02-point, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance group by 0.06% and communications group by 0.03%.
On the other hand, Clothing and Footwear, Education and Restaurants and Hotels groups maintained their former levels during the period of comparison.