Bangladesh
5 years ago

August inflation declines marginally

FE file photo
FE file photo

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The point-to-point inflation rate has declined by 0.13 percentage point to 5.49 per cent in August, compared to the previous month, official data showed.

The fall in inflation rate is due to a drop in the prices of some essential items.

The figure for July was 5.62 per cent, according to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) data unveiled on Tuesday.

The inflation rate stood at 5.48 per cent in August of 2018.

Planning Minister MA Mannan disclosed the data after emerging from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) meeting in the city.

The inflation rate declined slightly in the last month due to fall in prices of some food and non-food items, he said.

According to the BBS data, the inflation rate saw an uptrend over the last 13 months, but it has dropped in August.

In the general index, the food inflation on point-to-point basis stood at 5.27 per cent in August, down from 5.42 per cent in the previous month.

The non-food inflation also fell to 5.82 per cent in August from 5.94 per cent in July last.

The BBS data also showed that the point-to-point inflation rate both in rural and urban areas declined in August.

In rural areas, the inflation rate was recorded at 5.34 per cent, down from 5.49 per cent in July, while the food inflation fell to 5.38 per cent from 5.60 per cent in July.

In urban areas, the inflation rate on point-to-point basis stood at 5.75 per cent in August, down from 5.88 per cent in July.

In the cities, the food inflation decreased slightly to 5.02 per cent in the last month from 5.03 per cent in July, while the non-food inflation also fell to 6.60 per cent from 6.84 per cent in the previous month, the data showed.

In the budget for FY 2019-20, the government has set a target to keep the inflation rate within 5.5 per cent.

The BBS has also unveiled the Wage Rate Index (WRI) on Tuesday.

According to the data, the WRI declined slightly to 6.43 per cent in August from 6.45 per cent in July.

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