Cost of food and non-alcoholic beverages rose 8.5 percent in September following an 8.8 percent increase in August. In contrast, prices of housing, water, electricity and gas recorded the highest increase of the month (10.7 percent), up from 10.3 percent in August.
On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose by 0.4 percent in September from 0.1 percent in August, driven by an increase of both food and non-food prices. In the food category, vegetables and fruits grew the most (3.9 and 2.3 percent respectively). Among non-food items’ cost, charcoal increased 1.5 percent and school uniforms went up 1.4 percent.
Annual core inflation which excludes food and energy prices was flat at 3.1 percent in September.