September Inflation Up 3.2%

Overall consumer prices rose 3.2% year-on-year in September, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

Netting out the effects of the Government's one-off relief measures, the underlying inflation rate was also 3.2%, compared to 3.4% in August.

The month saw year-on-year price increases for food, housing, miscellaneous goods, miscellaneous services, meals bought away from home and transport.

Year-on-year price decreases were recorded for electricity, gas and water, clothing and footwear, durable goods as well as alcoholic drinks and tobacco.

The Government said the underlying consumer price inflation rate went down slightly as the effect of upward adjustment in public housing rentals in September last year began to dissipate.

While food inflation remained elevated due to high pork prices, price pressures on other major items stayed largely moderate.

Looking ahead, overall price pressures should remain contained along with subdued local economic conditions and further easing of imported inflation, and the inflation rate may stay elevated in the near term given the supply situation of fresh pork, it added.