CONSUMER PRICE INDEX

1st Quarter 2012

Highlights

The Consumer Price Index, which stood at 130.4 in December 2011, registered a net increase of 1.9 points (or 1.5%) to reach 132.3 in March 2012.

The main reasons for the net increase in the CPI from December 2011 to March 2012 were:

- higher prices of food and non-alcoholic beverages, mainly fish, meat, soft drinks and a variety of other food products;
- higher water and waste water charges;
- higher price of cooking gas;
- higher prices of washing materials and softeners;
- higher prices of newspapers;
- higher mobile phone charges;
- higher charges for food and drinks in bars and restaurants;
partly offset by
- lower prices of vegetables and fruits; and
- lower prices of motor vehicles.

The headline inflation rate for the twelve months ending March 2012 works out to 5.9% compared to 4.0% for the twelve months ending March 2011.

The headline inflation rate excluding 'Alcoholic beverages and tobacco' for the twelve months ending March 2012 works out to 4.6% compared to 3.8% for the twelve months ending March 2011.

April 2012

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