Morocco’s CPI cools to 1.3% y/y in February

By bne IntelliNews March 20, 2015

Falling transport costs and slower food price growth mitigated higher housing charges, cutting Morocco’s CPI inflation to 1.3% y/y in February from 1.6% y/y a month earlier, the statistics office HCP said on March 20. The reading bodes well with the central bank’s monetary easing seeking to boost GDP growth.

Morocco’s central bank cut in late December its benchmark interest rate by 25bp to 2.5% for the second straight time last year. The central bank expects the CPI inflation to quicken to a well subdued 1.2% in 2015 and 1.3% by Q1 2016. In 2014, the CPI inflation was a marginal 0.4%.

On a monthly basis, the CPI fell 0.4%, reversing a 0.3% m/m rise in January.

Food prices (45% of basket) dropped 1.1% m/m in February on favourable seasonal factors, reducing the annual growth to 1.7% from 2.1% y/y in January.

Prices of fresh vegetables dropped 7.5% m/m in February (up 7.1% m/m in January) and those of meat fell 0.5% m/m.

Housing prices (13% of basket), which include rents and utilities, increased 0.1% m/m lifting the annual growth to 5.0% in February from 4.9% y/y a month earlier.

Transport prices 3.8% y/y in February, deepening from a 2.8% annual contraction the month before. The prices of diesel, fuel oil and gasoline are now being reviewed twice a month depending on the crude oil prices on the international market. 

  Feb-14 (y/y) Feb-15 (m/m) Jan-15 (y/y) Feb-15 (y/y)
CPI  0,4% -0,4% 1,6% 1,3%
Food, non-alc drinks -1,1% -1,1% 2,1% 1,7%
Alcohol, tobacco 7,2% 0,2% 1,5% 1,7%
Clothing, footwear 2,6% -0,1% 0,8% 0,7%
Housing, utilities 1,3% 0,1% 4,9% 5,0%
Furnishings 0,6% 0,0% 0,7% 0,6%
Health 1,1% 0,1% -1,2% -1,2%
Transport 2,5% 0,2% -2,8% -3,8%
Communications -9,0% 0,0% 0,0% 0,0%
Recreation, culture -1,0% 0,0% -0,4% 0,0%
Education 3,5% 0,0% 3,2% 3,2%
Restaurants, hotels 3,3% 0,1% 1,9% 2,0%
Other 1,6% 0,2% 0,4% 0,6%
         
Source:HCP        
Read in IntelliNews Pro
Get IntelliNews Pro

Related Articles

Lebanon becomes European Bank for Reconstruction and Development shareholder

Lebanon has become the fifth member country from the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean (SEMED) region to join the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), becoming a shareholder with ... more

Evolution Equity Partners closes $125mn cybersecurity-focused fund

Evolution Equity Partners announced on 17 July the final closing of a new fund with total capital commitments of $125mn to make investments in cybersecurity and next generation enterprise software ... more

US lifts laptop ban on Turkish Airlines flights as of July 5

Passengers boarding an early morning July 5 Turkish Airlines (THY) flight to John F Kennedy International Airport in New York were allowed to include laptops and electronic devices larger than a ... more

Most Read

  1. Erdogan lashes out at Germany, Nato, says "God willing" he'll have Russian missiles soon
    2 days ago
  2. STOLYPIN: Donbas continues to be as unpredictable as it is unloved
    3 days ago
  3. Ukrainian farmers turn to Donbas veterans for protection from raiders
    3 days ago
  4. EU allows Gazprom to use an additional 40% of OPAL gas pipeline's capacity
    3 days ago
  5. KRUK REPORT: Saakashvili is stripped of Ukrainian citizenship as Poroshenko’s re-election campaign gets underway
    1 day ago
  1. Erdogan lashes out at Germany, Nato, says "God willing" he'll have Russian missiles soon
    2 days ago
  2. CHINA RISING: When sleeping giants meet
    17 days ago
  3. STOLYPIN: Donbas continues to be as unpredictable as it is unloved
    3 days ago
  4. Belarus’ retail king Euroopt goes on the road
    22 days ago
  5. STOLYPIN: Russia’s cyber-challenge cuts both ways
    25 days ago

Selected articles from our premium news/views wire IntelliNews Pro

Login to IntelliNews Pro
Get IntelliNews Pro

Reports

Dismiss