Inflation Rate Rises Slightly To 9.5 Percent In April

The year-on-year inflation rate rises slightly to 9.5 percent in April from 9.3 percent in March on account of
increases in inflation rate of the non-food group.

Mr David Yenukwa Kombat, the Deputy Government Statistician, at a press briefing in Accra, said the monthly change in April was 1.1 percent, compared to the 1.2 percent recorded for March.

He said the year-on-year non-food inflation rate was 10.4 per cent in April, up from 9.7 percent recorded for March 2019.

On the other hand, the year-on-year food inflation rate is lower at 7.3 percent, representing a 1.1 percentage point decline from 8.4 percent the previous month.

“The year-on-year non-food inflation rate (10.4 percent) is 3.1 percentage points higher than the food inflation rate of 7.3 percent,” he stated.

Mr Kombat said the main “price drivers” for the non-food inflation rate were recreation and culture 14.1 percent, Transport 13.2 percent, clothing and footwear 14.3 percent, and furnishing, household
equipment and routine maintenance 12.8 percent.

The “price drivers” for the food inflation rate were; coffee, tea and cocoa 13.7 percent, mineral water, soft drinks, fruits and vegetables juices 9.5 percent, fruits 10.4 per cent and meat as well as meat
products 8.3 percent.

At the regional level, the year-on-year inflation rate ranged from 8.0 percent for Upper East Region to 11.5 percent for Upper West Region.

Four regions Upper West, Brong Ahafo, Western and Ashanti recorded inflation rates above the national average of 9.5 percent while Northern and Eastern Regions recorded the same inflation rate of 9.0
percent.

Source: GNA