It is evident that inflation has been felt in recent months throughout the Colombian territory, for which the Administrative Department of Statistics (Dane) published the Consumer Price Index, better known by its acronym CPI. According to these data, in the last 12 months there was an increase of 9.23%. This means that Colombia presents its highest annual inflation in the last 22 years.
Regarding the monthly increase in April, compared to March of this year, the figure was 1.25%. In the cities, the highest variation was presented by Popayán, in the department of Cauca, with 1.66%; in second place were Valledupar and Sincelejo, which had 1.677% and then another coastal city, Montería, appears with 1.53%.
When talking directly regarding the categories, one of the most striking is clothing and footwear, since it is where prices increased the most in each month’s analysis. The cities that most felt the variation were: in the first place, Armenia (4.1%), following Cali (3.96%) and in third place Neiva (3.59%).
The second category that increased the most in the country was beverages (non-alcoholic) and food. Here on time, during March and April of this year, the cities that felt the most inflation were Sincelejo, Ibagué, Neiva and Riohacha.
Regarding products for the home, such as furniture or items that are bought to adapt a home, the cities with the greatest variation were Cúcuta, Manizales, Santa Marta, Neiva and Valledupar, in that order.
Regarding the annual variation to the month of April, but compared to 2021, The largest general increase in the cost of living was in the city of Santa Marta, with 12.29%, followed by Cúcuta with 12.28% and Popayán with 11.95%.
Individually, in April, the IPC stood at 1.25%. In that month, rice, milk and meat were the products that increased in price the most, while potatoes have already left the list of the most expensive and only registered a monthly variation of 0.27%.
As food is more expensive, the reflection of this is felt in restaurants, to which the entire workforce has already returned amid the reactivation of the economy. The increase in consumer prices in April is also explained by the cost of accommodation and public services such as water, electricity, gas and other fuels.
Colombian households have already been expressing that they are feeling strongly the weight of high prices. According to Dane statistics, in the last year (until April), the categories of food and non-alcoholic beverages continued with a soaring consumer price index of 26.17%.
Meanwhile, that of restaurants and hotels, where the current and the empanada enter, rose by 14.37%. Only in April, according to what was expressed by the Dane, the current had a variation of 15.32%, which is explained by the increase in the price of rice, milk, meat, eggs, onions, bread , oil and cassava. To give an idea, the increase in the price of cassava is 106%.