Inflation for the bottom 30% income households at the national level slowed down to 5.0 percent in September 2021, from 5.3 percent in August 2021. In September 2020, it was posted at 2.8 percent.
The country’s average inflation for this particular group of consumers from January to September 2021 was registered at 4.9 percent.
The downtrend in the inflation for the bottom 30% income households during the month was primarily due to the slower annual increase of the transport index at 4.0 percent, from its double-digit annual growth rate of 10.4 percent in August 2021.
Lower annual increments were also observed in the indices of the following commodity groups during the month:
a. Food and non-alcoholic beverages, 5.4 percent;
b. Alcoholic beverages and tobacco, 10.9 percent;
c. Education, 1.3 percent; and
d. Restaurant and miscellaneous goods and services, 3.8 percent.
The indices of other commodity groups exhibited, however, higher inflation during the month, except for clothing and footwear index, which retained its previous month’s annual rate of 2.7 percent.
Meanwhile, the food index for the bottom 30% income households at the national level retained its previous month’s annual rate of 5.8 percent in September 2021. In the same month in 2020, its inflation was observed at 1.1 percent.
Inflation for bottom 30% down at 5 percent in September
Annual upticks were higher in the indices of the following food groups during the period:
a. Other cereals, flour, cereal preparation, bread, pasta, and other bakery products, 1.9 percent;
b. Oils and fats, 6.3 percent;
c. Vegetables, 17.0 percent; and
d. Sugar, jam, honey, chocolate, and confectionery, 1.7 percent.
Moreover, the index of food products not elsewhere classified registered an annual increase of 0.1 percent, after exhibiting an annual drop of -0.7 percent in the previous month.
The annual decline in the index of rice at -0.3 percent during the month was also lower relative to its previous month’s annual decrease of -0.5 percent.
On the other hand, the indices of the rest of the food groups had lower inflation during the month.
Similarly, inflation of consumer items for the bottom 30% income households in NCR decelerated to 4.2 percent in September 2021, from 5.1 percent in August 2021. Inflation for this particular group of consumers in the region in September 2020 was noted at 2.8 percent.
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