The Statistics Division, under the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance releases the CPI for Feb 2025
Year-on-Year Analysis
The Consumer Price index rose 4.0 % for the twelve months ending February 2025. The February 2025 inflation change is the smallest twelve-month increase in the all-items index since December 2023. The all-items less Food and Energy index rose 4.3% over the last twelve months.
Food prices increased 1.3% in February 2025 when compared to February 2024. The index recorded mixed results with five sub category increases and four decreases. The index for Bread and Cereals rose 7.4% over the same period as the subcategories of Rice and Bread rose 14.1% and 12.9% respectively. The index for Milk, Cheese, and Eggs rose 4.5% driven primarily by an 18.3% increase in the index for Eggs and Egg Based Products. The index for Meats and Meat Products increased by 2.1% in February and the index for Fruits rose 1.4%.
The index for All Items less Food and Energy rose 4.3% over the last twelve months. The increase is driven primarily by the average price increase in the indexes for Miscellaneous Goods and Services (+15.5%), Restaurants and Hotels (+14.1%), Health (+10.5%) and Alcoholic Beverages, Tobacco and Narcotics (+10.8%).
Month-to-Month Price Changes
In February 2025, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) declined by 0.4 % when compared to January 2025. The Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Index fell by 0.5% over the month. The All Items Less Food and Energy declined by 0.4% over the same one-month period.
The Food Index saw a slight decrease of 0.8%. Seven out of the nine major supermarket food groups recorded decreases over the one month. This decrease was primarily driven by: Oil and Fats (-7.4%), Sugars, Jams Honey, Chocolate and Confectionery (-3.3%), Vegetables (-2.7%), Food Products Not Elsewhere Classified (N.E.C) (-2.3%), and Fruits (-1.7%). In contrast, the Meat and Meat Products and Bread and Cereals indexes increased by 0.2% and 0.3% respectively.
The Non-Alcoholic Beverage Index increased by 2.5%, driven by a 5.7% increase in the index for Fruit and Vegetable Juices.
The index for All Items less Food and Energy had a marginal decline of 0.4% over the month. The decrease was influenced by a decline in the index for Transport Services which declined by 12.4%.
—- END —-
Methodology
What is the consumer price index (CPI) measuring and how is it done?
The All Items Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the main measure of what is commonly called inflation, or headline inflation. It measures the change in prices, on average, from month to month, and from year to year of the goods and services bought by most households.
Prices are collected monthly and quarterly from supermarkets and other suppliers of goods and services. The pattern of household expenditure on these goods and services is derived from a regular household budget (or expenditure) survey (HBS). The prices and spending patterns (known as weights) are then combined to calculate the price indices for groups of goods and services and for the All Items index. These indices are based on expenditure patterns in 2006.
The All Items (or overall) index, with all of its twelve (12) component indices, is published each month.
For a detailed account of the methodology used in calculating the CPI, please call the Statistics Division.
Copies of the CPI for Feb 2025 can be accessed on the Division’s official website www.statistics.gov.ag