Inflation rate rises slightly to 9.5 per cent in April

The year-on-year inflation rate rises slightly to 9.5 per cent in April from 9.3 per cent 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 per cent, compared to the 1.2 per cent recorded for March.

He said the year-on-year non-food inflation rate was 10.4 per cent in

April, up from 9.7 per cent recorded for March 2019.

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

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

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

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

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

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