The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate increased to 22.04 percent on a year-on-year basis in March, this year.
According to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Inflation Report of the NBS for March 2023, which were released in Abuja on Monday, the figure is 0.13 percent points higher compared to the 21.91 percent recorded in the previous month.
It said on a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate in March 2023 was 6.13 percent higher than the rate recorded in March 2022 at 15.92 percent.
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in March 2023 when compared to the same period in March 2022″, the NBS said.
The report said the contributions of items on the divisional level to the increase in the headline index are food and non-alcoholic beverages at 11.42 percent and housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuel at 3.69 percent.
Others are clothing and footwear at .69 per cent; transport at 1.43 percent; furnishings, household equipment and maintenance at 1.11 percent and education at 0.87 percent and health at 0.66 percent.
“Miscellaneous goods and services at 0.37 percent; restaurant and hotels at 0.27 percent; alcoholic beverage, tobacco and kola at 0.24 percent; recreation and culture at 0.15 percent and communication at 0.15 percent”.
It said the percentage change in the All-Items Index in March 2023 was 1.86 on a month-on-month basis.
According to the NBS: “This indicates a 0.15 percent increase compared to the 1.71 percent recorded in February 2023.
”This means that in March 2023, on average, the general price level was 0.15 percent higher relative to February 2023″.
The percentage change in the average CPI for the 12 months ending March 2023 over the average for the previous 12 months period was 20.37 percent.
“This indicates a 3.83 percent increase compared to the 16.54 percent recorded in March 2022″, NBS reported.
It said increases were recorded in all Classification of Individual Consumption by Purpose (COICOP) divisions that yielded the headline index.
The report said the food inflation rate in March 2023 was 24.45 percent on a year-on-year basis, which was 7.25 percent higher compared to the rate recorded in March 2022 at 17.20 percent.
The NBS said: “The rise in food inflation is caused by increases in prices of bread and cereals, potatoes, yams and other tubers, and oil and fat, fish, vegetable, fruits, meat, and spirits”.
It said on a month-on-month basis, the food inflation rate in March was 2.07 percent, which was a 0.16 percent rise compared to the rate recorded in February 2023 at 1.90 percent.
The report said that the “all items less farm produce’’ or core inflation, which excludes the prices of volatile agricultural produce stood at 19.86 per cent in March 2023 on a year-on-year basis, adding that “this increased by 5.94 percent compared to 13.91 per cent recorded in March 2022.
“On a month-on-month basis, the core inflation rate was 1.84 percent in March 2023, which was a 0.78 percent rise compared to what it stood at in February 2023 at 1.06 percent”.
According to the report, the highest increases were recorded in prices of gas, passenger transport by Air, liquid fuel, fuels, lubricants for Personal transport equipment, and vehicles spare parts.
According to the report: “Others are maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment and solid fuel, medical services, and passenger transport by road, among others.
“The average 12-month annual inflation rate was 17.41 percent for the 12 months ending March 2023, this was 3.85 percent points higher than the 13.56 per cent recorded in March 2022″.
The report said that on a year-on-year basis in March 2023, that the urban inflation rate was 23.07 percent, which was 6.63 percent higher compared to the 16.44 per cent recorded in March 2022.
“On a month-on-month basis, the urban inflation rate was 2.00 per cent in March 2023, representing a 0.15 per cent rise compared to February 2023 at 1.85 percent”, it reported.
It said the corresponding 12-month average for the urban inflation rate was 21.00 percent in March 2023, adding: “This was 3.90 percent higher compared to the 17.10 percent reported in March 2022″.
The report said on a year-on-year basis in March 2023, the rural inflation rate was 21.09 percent, which was 5.67 per cent higher compared to the 15.42 percent recorded in March 2022.
