Friday, May 23, 2008

S'pore April CPI Rises 7.5%, 26-Yr High

Source : The Straits Times, May 23, 2008

SINGAPORE'S April inflation accelerated at a faster-than-expected pace of 7.5 per cent from a year ago, matching a high reached 26 years ago due to higher housing, food and oil prices.















Consumer prices rose 0.9 per cent in April from March after seasonal adjustments, the Department of Statistics said in a statement on Friday.

Economists had expected annual consumer prices to rise by 7 per cent in April according to a Reuters poll, above March's 6.7 per cent and matching the 7.5 per cent gain in March 1982.

Central banks from China to the United States are fighting rising inflation as higher oil and commodity prices push up consumer prices.

A sub-index for housing costs gained 11.8 per cent in April from a year ago while food prices, which carry the largest weighting in the index, rose 8.5 per cent.

The statement does not include seasonally adjusted figures for the sub-indices. -- REUTERS

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