Inflation Stood at 6.07% by the end of 2018

According to the Central Administration of Statistics (CAS), the Lebanese economy’s average inflation rate stood at 6.07% year-on-year (y-o-y) by the end of 2018 since the average Consumer Price Index (CPI) reached 106.65 by December 2018 compared to 100.55 during the same period last year. In reality, consumer prices went up across all sub-categories.

In details, the average price of “Housing and utilities” (Housing water, electricity, gas and other fuels) constituting a combined 28.4 % of the CPI, witnessed a yearly rise of 6.81%, on the back of increases in its components. “Owner-occupied” rental costs (grasping 13.6% of this category) and  “Water,electricity,gas and other fuels” (grasping 11.8% of this category) rose by  3.83% y-o-y and 10.78% y-o-y, respectively .

Also, the average costs of “Food and non-alcoholic beverages” (20% of CPI) rose by a yearly 5.16% by Q4 2018. As for the average prices for “Transportation” (13.10 % of CPI), they increased by 7.93% y-o-y, noting that the average price of 2018 was $71.69 per barrel up by 28.34% compared to the same period last year.

In addition, the average price for “Health” (7.7% of CPI), “Education” (4.33% of CPI), and “Clothing and footwear” recorded a yearly upticks of 5.01%, 4.42% and 15.25%, respectively. The rise in the “Clothing and footwear” can be linked to the yearly increase in the average eur/usd rate by 4.50% .

Average Yearly Inflation Rates by November

Inflation Stood at 6.07% by the end of 2018

 

 

Source: CAS

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