BCP reports inflation of 0.2% in September, reaching a cumulative 2.9% for the year

Headquarters of the Central Bank of Paraguay. Photo: IP

Asunción, IP Agency.- Inflation for the month of September 2024, measured by the variation in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), was 0.2%, lower than the 0.5% variation observed in the same month of the previous year.

With this result, the accumulated inflation in the year amounts to 2.9%, above the 2.5% verified in the same period of 2023.

The inflation result for the month of September 2024 was characterized by price increases in a large part of the basket groups

Among the increases, those related to durable goods of imported origin stood out: automobiles, mobile phones, sound equipment, computer equipment, home furniture and household appliances.

Services, for their part, recorded price increases for personal care, meals served in bars and restaurants, contract food services, hotel accommodation, housing rentals, cleaning services, veterinary services, interior tourist packages, vehicle insurance , among others. Likewise, within health services, the increases in clinician consultations, eye doctor consultations and laboratory analyzes are highlighted.

In food, beef price increases were recorded. Agents in the sector mention that the lower slaughter rate observed in the month of August led to a lower supply. Other price increases verified in food items, although moderate, correspond to baked goods, flours, pastas, coffee, yerba mate, fish, condiments and semi-prepared foods, oils and non-alcoholic beverages.

Among the price decreases observed in foods that contributed to attenuate the result for the month, fresh vegetables and tubers, dairy products, mainly cheeses, sugar, and poultry meat, stand out. The latter, representatives of the sector indicated that a greater domestic supply, due to fewer shipments abroad, contributed to the reduction in prices.

Meanwhile, other increases in other goods in the basket are mentioned. In this sense, in the goods segment, increases were observed in clothing, footwear, household cleaning items and personal care items, among others.

Finally, within the energy segment, slight increases in prices of liquefied gas for domestic use and coal were observed.