Macau’s composite consumer price index (CPI) rose 5.99 percent year-on-year last month, slowing down a bit from May’s 6.16 percent increase, according to data released by the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC) Monday.
A DSEC statement attributed last month’s inflation pressure namely to higher housing rents and the higher cost of eating out.
Last month saw notable increases in the price indices of housing and fuels (+11.77 percent), food and non-alcoholic beverages (+6.03 percent), and entertainment and culture (+5.48 percent).
The bureau said that more expensive package tours and women’s summer clothes also pushed up the inflation rate. While fresh pork prices were up, lower prices of vegetables, fruit, fresh fish and seafood “tapered off the increase,” the statement said.
For the 12 months ending in June, the average composite CPI rose 5.95 percent from the previous period. The index for the second quarter was up 6.17 percent year-on-year. For the first half of the year, the index rose 6.14 percent year-on-year.
(macaunews/macaupost)
