Lower tobacco prices, following a one-off hike two months earlier, and slower food and housing price growth, cut Tunisia’s CPI inflation to 4.1% y/y in December from 4.3% y/y a month earlier, the statistics office INS said. In 2015, Tunisia’s CPI inflation averaged a still high 4.9%.
The reading accommodates the c-bank monetary stance by leaving the key rate on hold at its latest MPC sitting following, seeking to reignite the tumbling GDP growth amid slowing CPI inflation and contracting industrial output.
Excluding energy costs, the CPI inflation reached 4.3% y/y in December while excluding food and energy charges, the CPI reached 4.8%.
In monthly terms, the CPI ticked up a marginal 0.2% in December.
Food and beverages prices fell 0.1% m/m in December trimming the annual growth to 3.3% from 3.4% y/y in November.
Fresh vegetables dropped 1.9% m/m in December on favourable seasonal factors and those of edible oils fell 0.9% m/m. Fruits prices rose 0.8% m/m in December.
Housing and utilities prices (14% of the basket) rose 0.5% m/m on higher rents (up 0.9% m/m). The annual growth, however, cooled to a still high 5.3% from 5.5% y/y in November.
Transport prices rose 1.7% y/y, the same as in November while those of education grew 8.5% y/y.
| Nov-15 | Dec-15 | |
| CPI (y/y) | 4,3% | 4,1% |
| Food/beverages | 3,4% | 3,3% |
| Tobacco | 4,9% | 0,6% |
| Clothing/Footwear | 7,2% | 7,1% |
| Housing/utilities | 5,5% | 5,3% |
| Furniture/equipments | 5,6% | 5,9% |
| Health | 2,9% | 3,1% |
| Transport | 1,7% | 1,7% |
| Communications | -2,6% | -3,0% |
| Recreation/culture | 3,2% | 3,3% |
| Education | 9,8% | 8,5% |
| Rest/Hotels | 8,0% | 7,6% |
| Other serivces | 6,5% | 6,5% |
| Source: INS |
Related Articles
Iraq holds talks with Excelerate Energy on buying first LNG from US
Iraq is in the final stages of negotiating its first-ever purchase of LNG supplies as power outages hamper the Middle East country, Bloomberg reported on June 26. Dallas-headquartered Excelerate ... more
Reformist Kamil al-Tayeb Idris appointed as Sudan’s new Prime Minister
Sudan’s Sovereign Council head, Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, issued a constitutional decree on May 19 appointing Kamil al-Tayeb Idris as the new prime minister, Al Sharq Al Awsat reported. He also ... more
Egypt examines LNG supply offers from Saudi Aramco, UAE’s Adnoc, Algeria’s Sonatrach, and QatarEnergy
Egypt's state-owned gas company EGAS has received several offers to supply liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments urgently needed for summer, Al Sharq reported on May 18, citing an unnamed government ... more