Statistics Center - Abu Dhabi (SCAD) issued its monthly report on the consumer price index (CPI) and the inflation rate in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi for the month of February 2012.

The report analyzes the CPI calculations for the month under review with the year 2007 fixed as the base year. It also details CPI results by welfare levels and types of households.

SCAD indicated that the average rise in consumer prices for the first two months of 2012 was 0.7 per cent, compared with the same period of 2011. According to SCAD’s report, the "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" group, accounted for 92.4% per cent of the percentage point rise in the index, due to increases in the prices of most of the subgroups included in this group.

The highest price increases were in the "Meat" subgroups which each rose by 12.3 per cent, followed by "Coffee, tea and cocoa" 8.4 per cent, "Fish and seafood" 6.9 per cent, "Oils and fats" 6.1 per cent, and "Bread and cereals" 4.4 per cent.

SCAD also explained that the next highest group contributor to the overall year-to-date increase in the CPI over the first two months of 2012 was "Restaurants and hotels" which accounted for 42.8 per cent of the increase in the CPI, while prices for this group increased by 8.3 per cent.

The "Education" group contributed 23.5 per cent to the year-to-date rise in consumer prices, having increased by 4.8 per cent.

The "Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance" group contributed 15.6 per cent of the CPI percentage points increase during the first two months of 2012 and increased by 2.2 per cent compared with the same period in 2011.

SCAD asserted that the main group that slowed down the rise in consumer prices during the first two months of 2012 compared with the same period of 2011 was "Clothing and footwear" which contributed a negative 52.7 per cent of the overall change in the CPI index. The average prices of this group decreased by 4.4 per cent.

February 2012 SCAD’s CPI report added that for February 2012 compared with February 2011, average consumer prices rose by 0.6 per cent. The most significant individual increase came from higher prices for "Restaurants and hotels" which rose by 9.7 per cent, followed by "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" 7.4 per cent and "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" 2.6 per cent. Over the same period, prices of the "Clothing and footwear" group decreased by 4.4 per cent.

Over the month, that is, for February 2012 compared with January 2012, average consumer prices decreased by 0.1 per cent. The most significant individual decrease came from prices for "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" which decreased by 1.2 per cent over the month.

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