 rise in a family’s (household’s) living expenses countrywide, decelerated for the second consecutive month to last month, by registering){kind=link}
The year on year (YoY) rise in a family’s (household’s) living expenses countrywide, decelerated for the second consecutive month to last month, by registering a YoY increase of Rs 25,872.24, compared to the March 2023 value of Rs 34,262.07, Census and Statistics Department (CSD) data released yesterday showed. Last month’s increase in a family’s living expenses being below Rs 30,000 was the first time after a record nine months to March 2023 where it was above Rs 30,000 then.
Subsequently the increase in countrywide inflation decelerated for the second consecutive month to last month to 33.6 per cent from a figure of 49.2 per cent registered in March 2023.This deceleration was aided by the increase in non-food inflation decelerating for the second consecutive month to last month to 27.1 per cent, from a figure of 54.9 per cent registered in March 2023 and the increase in non-food inflation decelerating for the seventh consecutive month to last month to 39 per cent, from 42.3 percent registered in March 2023.
The drivers of the YoY increase in inflation last month were the food bill of a household rising by Rs 9,488.57 and the cost non food items of such a household increasing by Rs 16,384.16, YoY to last month, respectively. The top six YoY boost given to food inflation last month were led by a family’s milk powder bill increasing by Rs 1,580.65 YoY; fresh fish (Rs 975.24); chicken (Rs 755.74); fresh fruits (Rs 693.14);biscuits (Rs 494.54) and coconuts (Rs 477) respectively.
Meanwhile, the top 11 non food inflationary leaders eating into a household’s overall budget last month were led by the YoY increase in their monthly electricity bill to last month by Rs 4,244.12; eating from out (Rs 1,274.41); clothing & footwear (Rs 1,272.99); health (Rs 1,000.67); household maintenance costs (Rs 607.51); YoY increase in their monthly alcohol, tobacco and narcotics costs (Rs 511.90); toilet soap (Rs 482.15); tuition fees (Rs 458.46); bus fare (Rs 441.62); books and stationery costs (Rs 407.31) and
washing soap (Rs 322.78) respectively .