The annual inflation rate in Fiji rose to 1.2 percent in August 2019 from a 3-1/2-year low of 0.7 percent in the previous month. Cost rose further for food and alcoholic beverages (5.6% vs 3.2% in July), transport (0.4% vs 0.3%), miscellaneous goods & services (1.1% vs 0.8%) and clothing & footwear (1.1% vs 0.8%). On the other hand, prices slowed for alcoholic beverages & tobacco (0.8% vs 2.1%) and furnishing, household equipment & routine maintenance (0.5% vs 0.8%). Also, inflation was steady for housing & utilities (at 0.1%), education (at 5.2%), and restaurants & hotels (at 0.3%) and health (at 0.8%) and cost of communication continued to fall (-15%, the same as in July). In addition, cost of recreation & culture was flat for the second consecutive month. On a monthly basis, consumer prices rose 0.6 percent in August, the first monthly increase in three months, rebounding from a 1.6 percent fall in July. Inflation Rate in Fiji averaged 3.92 percent from 2003 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 10.50 percent in April of 2010 and a record low of -0.30 percent in April of 2009.
Inflation Rate in Fiji is expected to be 1.40 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Inflation Rate in Fiji to stand at 2.60 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Fiji Inflation Rate is projected to trend around 3.00 percent in 2020, according to our econometric models.