The consumer price index (CPI) registered in January a 6% increasedriven by the items food and beverages, restaurants and hotels, rates for public services and telephone and internet services, reported this Tuesday the National Institute of Statistics and Censuses (Indec).
In this way, retail inflation was placed nine tenths above the 5.1% of last December and accumulated an increase of 98.8% in the last 12 months.
The “Food and Beverages” category, the one with the greatest statistical weight within the index, rose 6.8% in the first month of the year. The most notable increases corresponded to seasonal products, especially fruits and vegetables, tubers and legumes. To this was added, although with a smaller increase than in the seasonal ones, the prices of bread and cereals, and meat and derivatives.
While beef cuts such as the shoulder, the rump or the rump had increases that exceeded 3%, the price of the hake filet increased 14%.
The price of a liter of milk, for its part, increased 4%, flour, 9%; stew noodles, 8.4%; and white rice, 7.9%; among other items considered essential.
On the side of seasonal products, the price of round tomatoes rose 64%: potatoes, 24%; and the delicious apple, 31%.
The division with the highest increase in the first month of the year was Recreation and culture, which marked an advance of 9%. This increase was directly related to tourism services, in the height of the summer season, and to the price of cable television service.
Housing, water, electricity and other fuels followed in importance in terms of the highest monthly increase, with an average increase of 8%, largely driven by the increase in public utility rates; and by the Communication category, also with an increase of 8%, in this case due to adjustments in the values of telephone and internet services.
The two divisions with the least variation in January were Clothing and footwear, with an increase of 2.3%; and Education, with a rise of 1.1%.
By categories, Seasonal products and services recorded a 7.9% rise in January; while Regulated -including transportation and electricity, among others- advanced 7.1%.
Finally, the CPI Core -which measures the evolution of products that are not subject to short-term issues- registered an increase of 5.4%.
By region, above the national average of 6% were the Pampean zone, with a rise of 6.1%, Cuyo, with 6.4%; and the Northwest provinces, with 6.3%.
Meanwhile, below 6% were the Northwestern provinces, with a rise of 5.6%; and the Patagonian districts, with an average increase of 5.9%.
Finally, Greater Buenos Aires -which includes CABA and the parties of the Buenos Aires suburbs- was on par with the national average, with an increase of 6%.
In the last 12 months, and with an inflation rate of 98.8%, by items, the rise of 120.3% in Clothing and footwear stands out; 109.9% in Restaurants and hotels; 103.3% in the prices of alcoholic beverages and tobacco; 101.2% in home equipment and maintenance; and 98.4% in Food and beverages.
