Inflation in Jamaica for the first five months of 2020 remained extremely low, with the rate for May, coming in at 0.1 percent following April’s increase of just 0.2 percent, leading the year-to-date inflation rate at negative 0.4 percent.
Inflation over the past twelve months came out at 4.2 percent, with the period between July and November rising by exactly 4.2 percent, mostly due to a hike in the exchange rate of the Jamaican dollar versus the US dollar.
The May movement resulted mainly from a 1.1 percent increase in the heavily weighted Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages division, according to a release from the Statistical Institute of Jamaica due to higher prices for agricultural produce, with a 2.3 percent rise. The division of Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels increased 1.5 percent due mainly to electricity rates, which resulted in a 5.6 percent upward movement in the index for the group.
The index for the Education division fell 22.1 percent, primarily due to a decrease in tuition fees for the summer term and the Transport division index fell 0.3 percent, with lower prices for petrol contributed to this decline.
Jamaica’s Inflation stays low
July 12, 2020 by
