The Statistics Division, under the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Governance releases the CPI for May 2025
The Consumer Price Index for the twelve months ending May 2025 declined by 0.6% after declining 1.2% in April. Likewise, the All Items Less Food and Energy index fell 1.4% over the last twelve months. In both categories, the declines were largely attributed to declining average prices in the categories of Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas and Other Fuels, Transport and Furnishings, Household Equipment, and Routine Household Maintenance.
The index for Food marginally rose by 0.5%. This increase reflects a slowdown in the increase in food prices over the last twelve months. The indexes for Meats and Meat Products, Bread and Cereals, and Fish and Seafood have the largest contribution to the food index increase. The index for Fish and Seafood rose 3.8%, Meats and Meat Products (+3.6%), and Bread and Cereals increased 3.5%.
Contrary to the increases, the indexes for Vegetables, Milk, Cheese and Eggs and Oil and Fats had the largest negative impact on the food inflation rate. The index for Vegetables fell 2.0%, while the indexes for Milk, Cheese and Eggs and Oils and Fats fell 4.1% and 8.2% respectively.
The index for All Items Less Food and Energy declined by 1.4%. This decline was influenced by the reductions in the indexes for Furnishings, Household Equipment and Routine Household Maintenance (-5.1%), Transport Services (-13.0%), Actual Rentals for Housing and Materials for the maintenance and Repair of Dwelling. These four indices represent 45.7% of the composition of the All Items Less Food and Energy category.
In May 2025, the monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI) decreased by 0.6. The Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages Index fell by 0.3% over the month.
The All Items Less Food and Energy declined by 0.7% over the same one-month period.
The Food Index saw a slight decrease of 0.4%. Six out of the nine major supermarket food groups recorded decreases over the one month. The Food Index decrease was primarily driven by: Milk, Cheese and Eggs (-3.1%), Bread and Cereals (-2.5%), Food Products N.E.C (-2.3%) and Vegetables (-1.0%).
In contrast, Meat and Meat Products and Fish and Seafood increased by 3.4% and 1.1% respectively.
The Non-Alcoholic Beverage Index increased by 1.5%, driven by a 5.7% increase in the index for Fruit and Vegetable Juices.
The index for All Items less Food and Energy had a marginal decline of 0.7% over the month. The decrease was influenced by a 5.1% decline in the index for Actual Rentals for Housing. This index uses a composite index for its compilation.
However, increases were recorded for Transport Services and Alcoholic Beverages and Narcotics.
What is the consumer price index (CPI) measuring and how is it done?
The All Items Consumer Price Index (CPI) is the main measure of what is commonly called inflation, or headline inflation. It measures the change in prices, on average, from month to month, and from year to year of the goods and services bought by most households.
Prices are collected monthly and quarterly from supermarkets and other suppliers of goods and services. The pattern of household expenditure on these goods and services is derived from a regular household budget (or expenditure) survey (HBS). The prices and spending patterns (known as weights) are then combined to calculate the price indices for groups of goods and services and for the All Items index. These indices are based on expenditure patterns in 2006.
The All Items (or overall) index, with all of its twelve (12) component indices, is published each month.
For a detailed account of the methodology used in calculating the CPI, please call the Statistics Division.
Copies of the CPI for May 2025 can be accessed on the Division’s official website www.statistics.gov.ag
