Accra, Jan. 8, GNA – The year-on-year
inflation rate fell slightly to 7.9 per cent in December, lower by 0.3
percentage points from 8.2 per cent recorded in November 2019.
Professor Samuel Kobina Annim, the
Government Statistician, who announced this on Wednesday, said the inflation
rate was predominantly driven by food, transportation and housing.
“Due to its relative importance in
consumption, food is still the main driver of inflation in the country,” he
said.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages
year-on-year inflation rate was 7.2 per cent, down 1.2 percentage points from
the 8.4 per cent recorded in November.
The non-food group recorded a rate of 8.5
per cent, a slight increase of 0.5 percentage points from 8.0 per cent in
November.
Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics
13.5 per cent, transport 11.0 per cent and Housing 10.5 percent were the
divisions with the highest rates of divisions.
Prof. Annim said between November and
December 2019, the price level of food and non-alcoholic beverages went down
slightly by -6 per cent.
The decline was predominantly driven by a
fall in price levels of vegetables and fruits, he said.
Inflation of imported goods was 6.1 per cent
while that of local goods was 8.7 per cent on average.
The rate is the highest for local goods and
the lowest for imported goods since August 2019.
On regional basis, three regions recorded
inflation rates above the national average of 7.9 per cent. These were: Greater
Accra, 12 per cent, Volta 9.3 per cent, and Upper West 8.6 per cent.
Ashanti Region recorded the lowest
year-on-year inflation rate of 5.0 per cent in December 2019.
GNA
