The Statistical Center of Iran’s latest report reviews price changes in 53 food items during the month ending Nov. 20.
The biggest month-on-month price rise for a food item during the month under review in urban areas was recorded for tomatoes with 208.9%. A kilogram of tomatoes was sold at 122,655 rials (49 cents).
The second and third biggest month-on-month price increase during the period was registered for bell pepper with 62.3% and onions with 62.2%, SCI’s website reported.
A kilogram of bell pepper was sold at 173,095 rials (69 cents) and a kilogram of onions went for 65,937 rials (26 cents) last month.
Two out of 53 food items examined by SCI this month saw a price decline in the eighth Iranian month (Oct. 22-Nov. 20) compared with the month before.
Oranges with 8.9% and eggs with 6.4% experienced month-on-month deflations.
A kilogram of oranges was sold at 127,177 rials (50 cents) and a kilogram of eggs went for 174,424 rials (69 cents).
Compared with the same month of the year before, the retail prices for bell pepper during the month increased by 213.1%, registering the highest year-on-year price rise for a food item last month.
The second and third biggest year-on-year food price rises in the same month were registered for tomatoes with 209% and lentils with 156.3%. A kilogram of lentils was sold at 266,373 rials ($1.06).
Year-on-year price deflation was registered for only one item: tomato paste with 1.7%; a kilogram of tomato paste was sold at 184,005 rials (73 cents).
The average goods and services Consumer Price Index in the 12-month period ending Nov. 20, which marks the end of the eighth Iranian month, increased by 29% compared with the corresponding period of last year, the report said.
SCI had put the average annual inflation rate for the preceding Iranian month, which ended on Oct. 21, at 27.2%.
The consumer inflation for the month under review (Oct. 22-Nov. 20) registered an increase of 46.4% compared with the similar month of the previous Iranian year. The year-on-year inflation of the month ending Oct. 21 was 41.4%.
The overall CPI (using the Iranian year to March 2017 as the base year) stood at 275 last month, indicating a 5.2% rise compared with the month before. Month-on-month consumer inflation was 7% for the preceding month (Sept. 22-Oct. 21.)
SCI put average annual inflation for urban and rural areas at 29% and 28.8%, respectively.
CPI registered a year-on-year increase of 45.7% for urban areas and 50.3% for rural areas in the month ending Nov. 20.
The overall CPI reached 272.6 for urban households and 288.6 for rural households, indicating a month-on-month increase of 4.7% and 7.6% for urban and rural areas, respectively.
Notably, the highest monthly growth in the index among 12 groups of the basket of consumer goods and services purchased by households in the Iranian month ending Nov. 20 was recorded for food and beverages with 13.2%.
With a coefficient of 26.64%, the CPI of food and beverages stood at 338 in the month ending Nov. 20, indicating a 13.2% increase compared with the month before. The food and beverages index registered a year-on-year increase of 56.7%. The average CPI of this group in the 12-month period ending Nov. 20 increased by 25.1% compared with last year’s corresponding period.
The 12 groups of the basket of consumer goods and services purchased by households surveyed by the SCI include food and beverages with a coefficient of 26.64%, tobacco with a coefficient of 0.59%, clothing and shoes with a coefficient of 4.78%, housing, water, electricity, natural gas and other fuels with a coefficient of 35.5% (highest), furniture, home appliances and their maintenance with a coefficient of 3.93%, health and treatment with a coefficient of 7.14%, transportation with a coefficient of 9.41%, communications with a coefficient of 2.87%, leisure and culture with a coefficient of 1.65%, education with a coefficient of 1.86%, hotels and restaurants with a coefficient of 1.44%, and miscellaneous items and services with a coefficient of 4.18%.
