The South African headline Consumer Price Index (CPI) annual inflation rate in December 2011 was 6.1 percent, according to Statistics South Africa.
Stats SA says the housing and utilities index increased by 0.5 percent between November 2011 and December 2011 mainly due to a 0.8 percent increase in the prices of actual rentals for housing and a 0.7 percent increase in the price of owners’ equivalent rent.
According to Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), this rate was the same as the corresponding annual rate of 6.1 percent in November 2011.
The official average annual inflation rate was 5.0 percent for the year 2011 compared to 2010 and the average annual inflation rate of 5.0 percent was 0.7 of a percentage point higher than the corresponding average annual inflation rate of 4.3 percent for 2010.
On average, prices increased by 0.2 percent between November 2011 and December 2011 and the food and non-alcoholic beverages index increased by 0.3 percent between November 2011 and December 2011.
The annual rate increased to 11.1 percent in December 2011 from 10.7 percent in November 2011.
Data revealed that the food and non-alcoholic beverages index increased: fruit (2.8 percent), meat (2.0 percent), bread and cereals (0.8 percent), oils and fats (0.7 percent), milk, eggs and cheese (0.1 percent) and hot beverages (0.1 percent).
The following components decreased: vegetables (-2.9 percent), other food (-1.2 percent), cold beverages (-0.9 percent), fish (-0.7 percent) and sugar, sweets and desserts (-0.4 percent).
Stats SA says the housing and utilities index increased by 0.5 percent between November 2011 and December 2011 mainly due to a 0.8 percent increase in the prices of actual rentals for housing and a 0.7 percent increase in the price of owners’ equivalent rent.
The annual rate decreased to 6.5 percent in December 2011 from 6.6 percent in November 2011.
The provinces with an annual inflation rate lower than or equal to headline inflation were Western Cape (5.9 percent) and Gauteng (5.8 percent).
The provinces with an annual inflation rate higher than headline inflation were Northern Cape (7.8 percent), Eastern Cape (7.7 percent), Free State (7.1 percent), North West (6.7 percent), Mpumalanga (6.7 percent), KwaZulu-Natal (6.6 percent) and Limpopo (6.4 percent). – Denise Mhlanga
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