Inflation stabilized in March at 7.5%, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INS).
This stability, explains the INS, is mainly due to the fact that the rate of increase in food prices remained unchanged between March and February, i.e. +10.2% year-on-year.
On the other hand, the rate of increase in prices in the “housing, water, gas and electricity” group accelerated (3.8% compared with 4.3% in February), offset by a slowdown in the “furniture, household goods” group (6.7% compared with 6.4% in February).
In March, food prices rose by 10.2% year-on-year. This increase was mainly due to a 35% rise in coffee powder prices, a 22.2% rise in edible oils, a 22% rise in sheepmeat prices, an 18% rise in condiments, a 17% rise in fresh vegetables, a 13.6% rise in beef prices and a 12.4% rise in fresh fish prices;
In addition, prices of manufactured goods rose by 7.2%, due to a 10.1% increase in the price of clothing and a 9.7% increase in the price of household products.
In services, prices rose by 5.6% year-on-year, mainly due to price rises of 10.2% in restaurants, cafés and hotels, 13.8% in financial services and 9.3% in health services.
The core inflation rate (excluding food and energy) remained unchanged at 7%. Prices of free (unregulated) products rose by 8.3% year-on-year, while prices of regulated products increased by 4.8%, and free food products rose by 11.2% compared with 3.6% for regulated food products.
