Dubai: Inflation in Abu Dhabi increased 1.9 per cent last year, according to Statistics Centre of Abu Dhabi (SCAD).
"The consumer price index (CPI) for 2011 rose from 119.3 points in 2010 to 121.6 points in 2011, indicating a rise of 1.9 per cent in the average prices of the basket goods and services, reflecting the overall outcome of consumer price movements during the periods compared," according to a report.
The report points out that "rises in the CPI do not necessarily correspond to higher prices for all the goods and services that make up the consumer basket, nor do they imply that all goods and services have increased by the same percentage (1.9 per cent in this case); for there are goods and services whose prices have risen at rates above the overall rate (1.9 per cent) and others whose rate of increase was below this general average".
There are also goods and services whose prices have fallen. However, the net change or the combined outcome of these changes in the prices of the consumer basket during 2011 compared with 2010 produced an average price increase of 1.9 percent.
"Food and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 67.7 per cent of the percentage rise in the index, due to increases in the prices of most of the subgroups falling within this group," the report said.
The largest price increase was in the coffee, tea and cocoa subgroup, which climbed 15.3 per cent, followed by a price increase of up 14.7 per cent for meat products.
Prices for mineral water, soft drinks, fruit and vegetable juices and fruits were up 8.6 per cent each, while fish and seafood prices increased by up 7.4 per cent. Prices for bread and cereals were up 6.8 per cent.
The next largest contributor to the overall increase in the CPI in 2011 were housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels, which accounted for 31.9 percent of the increase in the CPI. While the prices of this group increased by only 1.5 per cent, the size of the contribution reflects the large weight for this group in the index.
