The inflation rate reached 15.6 percent over the past Iranian calendar year (ended March 20), based on the latest report released by the Central Bank of Iran (CBI). The report also indicates that the Consumer Price Index (CPI) in urban areas over the past year showed a 16.2 percent increase compared to the previous year. According to the central bank the CPI in urban areas was 216.8 in the final month of last year, which shows a 1.3 percent increase compared to a month before. The CBI also reported that the average rate of Producer Price Index (PPI) reached 208.5 over the past Iranian year, which shows a 14.8 percent increase compared to a year before. The Producer Price Index (PPI) is a weighted index of prices measured at the wholesale, or producer level. Released every month by the CBI, the PPI shows trends within the wholesale markets (the PPI was once called the Wholesale Price Index), manufacturing industries and commodities markets.
