THE LATEST CONSUMER Price Index from the Central Statistics Office has shown that consumer prices in April were up by 0.5 per cent when compared to the same month last year. But consumer prices last months did not change when compared with March.

The most notable changes in the year were increases in alcohol and tobacco, which jumped 5.3 per cent. Education was also up by 4.8 per cent, while miscellaneous goods and services were up by 2.5 per cent.

Communications decreased by 4.6 per cent; furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance were down by 3.4 per cent and clothing and footwear decreased by 1.8 per cent.

The most significant monthly price changes were increases in miscellaneous goods and services, which were up by 1.2 per cent. This was put down mainly to increases in health insurance premiums.

Higher prices for a wide range of food items was put down as the main reason for the increase of 0.5 per cent of food and non-alcoholic beverages, while decreases in transport by 0.8 per cent was attributed to falling airfares.

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