Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi /SCAD/ reported today an overall rise of 11 percent in consumer prices during 2012 compared with 2011, according to the monthly report on the consumer price index /CPI/ and the inflation rate in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi for the month of December and the fourth quarter of the year 2012 The report shows the increase in the consumer price index CPI from an average 6121 points in 2011to 9122 points in 2012, representing the combined outcome of the upward and downward movements in various expenditure groups during the two periods compared.
It analyses the CPI calculations for the periods under review, with the year 2007 fixed as the base year. It also details CPI results by welfare levels and types of households.
As SCAD s report elaborates, the single largest contributor to the y-o-y rise in consumer prices during 2012 was the "Restaurants and hotels" group, which contributed 851 percentage points to the increase as the group s prices grew 4ر16 percent.
The next largest contributor to the rise in the CPI during 2012 was the "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" group which contributed 844 percentage points of the rise in the index during the twelve months 2012 compared with the same period of 2011, as a result of increases in the prices of most of the subgroups falling under this group, including the prices of "Coffee, tea and cocoa" /up 67 percent/, "Meat" /35 percent/, "Oil and fats" /up 06 percent/ "Vegetables" /up 34 percent/ and "Fish and seafood" /up 54 percent/.
The "Education" group contributed 512 percentage points of the overall increase recorded in 2012 compared with 2011.
The prices of "Clothing and footwear" advanced by 91 percent y-o-y during 2012, contributing 213 percentage points to the total increase by all groups. The main group that slowed down the rise in consumer prices during 2012 compared with 2011 was "Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" which detracted 745 percentage points from the overall change in the CPI, with the average prices of the group falling by 31 percent between the periods compared. As SCAD s report finds, average consumer prices increased by 80 percent in the fourth quarter 2012 compared with the same period of 2011.
The "Restaurants and hotels" group contributed 669 percentage points to the y-o-y increase in the CPI in Q4 2012, as the prices of the group surged 514 percent between the quarters compared.
The next largest contributor to the overall y-o-y rise in the CPI over the fourth quarter of 2012 was "Clothing and footwear" which contributed 139 percentage points to rise in the index. This was due to increases in the prices of most of the subgroups within this group, pushing the average prices of the group 04 percent up.
The main group that slowed down the rise in consumer prices during the fourth quarter of 2012 compared with the same period of 2011 was "Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels", which detracted 762 percentage points from the overall increase in the CPI index. The average prices of this group declined by 31 percent.
The CPI edged up 10 percent in Q4 compared with Q3 2012. The most significant individual increase came from prices for "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" which grew 75 percent.
Average consumer prices advanced 70 percent in December 2012 compared with December 2011, as the CPI increased from 4122 points in December 2011to 3123 points in December 2012, reflecting the net movement /increases and decreases/ in consumer prices between the aforesaid months.
The largest increase in prices during December 2012 compared with December 2011, was in the "Restaurants and hotels" group, which advanced 514 percent, followed by "Clothing and footwear" /up 04 percent/, "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" /up 711 percent/ and "Transport" /up 03 percent/, while the "Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" group retreated by 11 percent.
