Year-on-year price increases were recorded in September for electricity, gas and water (9.2 percent); food (excluding meals bought away from home) (6.7 percent); housing (6.4 percent); meals bought away from home (4.5 percent); miscellaneous services (3.5 percent); transport (2.9 percent); miscellaneous goods (2.8 percent); clothing and footwear (1.8 percent) and alcoholic drinks and tobacco (1.0 percent).
In contrast, year-on-year decrease in prices were recorded for durable goods (-4.8 percent).
A Government spokesman said that underlying consumer price inflation eased slightly to 4.2 percent year-on-year in September, mainly because the impact of the public housing rentals upward adjustment a year earlier by the Housing Authority faded out, offsetting the temporary surge in food prices in that month caused by the typhoon. Also, the increase in the private housing rental component of the underlying Composite CPI stabilized in September.
Looking ahead, the subdued imported inflation and the moderated increases in fresh-letting residential rentals since early 2013 should help to contain the upside risks to inflation in the near term.