The Weekly Consumer Price Index (IPC-S) for February 7, 2019 rose 0.53% – 0.04 percentage point (p.p.) below the rate recorded in the last report.

Two of the eight expense categories that comprise the index recorded lower price variation rates. The main driver behind this trend was the Education, Reading and Recreation group (3.13% to 1.73%). One of the highlights in this expense category was the formal courses item, dropping from 5.79% to 4.10%.

The Clothing group also dropped (-0.64% to -0.85%). The clothing item stood out in this expense class (-0.83% to -1.06%).

On the other hand, the categories Communication (0.20% to 0.53%), Transport (0.02% to 0.32%), Health and Personal Care (0.27% to 0.33%), Food (0.73% to 0.77%), and Miscellaneous Expenses (0.30% to 0.32%) recorded higher variation rates. The following items stand out in these expense classes: landline phone and internet plans (0.91% to 2.32%), city bus fare (2.86% to 3.32%), personal care services (0.17% to 0.28%), pinto beans (16.12% to 21.88%) and religious and funeral services (0.39% to 0.61%).

The Housing group recorded the same price variation of 0.43% as in the last publication. The greatest upward driver was the item household appliances and equipment (-0.24% to 0.30%), and the greatest downward driver was the item residential water and sewage tariff (0.88% to 0.48%).

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