Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Composite CPI for August 2015 increased by 4.64% year-on-year to 106.34. The CPI growth eased continuously since May 2015, with the rate for August dropping further by 0.12 percentage points from July (+4.76%). The increment in August was attributable to higher rentals for dwellings and rising charges for eating out; meanwhile, receding prices of gasoline and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, as well as lower charges for package tours, slowed the pace of growth. In comparison with August 2014, notable increase was observed in the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+36.62%); Housing & Fuels (+7.10%) and Health (+6.45%) on account of an increase in tobacco tax, rising rentals for dwellings and higher charges for out-patient services. On the contrary, price index of Communication decreased by 0.86%. The CPI-A (106.55) and CPI-B (104.56) increased by 4.97% and 3.60% respectively year-on-year. The Composite CPI for August 2015 increased by 0.19% month-to-month. Dearer prices of tobacco and higher wages of domestic helpers drove up the price index of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco and Household Goods & Furnishings by 6.68% and 0.95%. Moreover, price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages increased by 0.34% owing to higher charges for eating out and dearer prices of fresh pork and vegetables, while lower prices of fresh fish and seafood tapered off the increase. On the other hand, price index of Clothing & Footwear decreased by 1.98% due to seasonal sale of summer clothing and footwear. The CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 0.20% and 0.16% respectively month-to-month. For the 12 months ended August 2015, the average Composite CPI increased by 5.21% from the previous period. Price index of Housing & Fuels (+10.43%); Health (+5.47%); Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages (+5.38%) and Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+5.32%) showed marked increase. The average CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 5.67% and 4.56% respectively over the previous period. The average Composite CPI for the first eight months of 2015 increased by 4.86% year-on-year, with the price index of Housing & Fuels; Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco and Health rising by 9.68%, 7.39% and 5.81% respectively. The average CPI-A and CPI-B increased by 5.28% and 4.01% respectively. The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general households. The CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP10,000 to MOP29,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP30,000 to MOP54,999.
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