Consumer price index drops nearly 3%

Your dollar is going just a little bit further than it did last year.

The Economics and Statistics Office’s (ESO) latest consumer price index shows an overall drop of nearly 3% over last year.

Housing, utilities, and transport led the way, but plenty of other everyday items saw increases.

Water supply and other services, down more than 12%.

Power, gas, and other fuels, down almost 15%.

According to the ESO report, housing and utilities make up almost 40% of the nearly 1400 items surveyed for the report. These decreases are well in line with the trends in international oil prices, but the survey shows not everything is getting cheaper.

School fees, communications, and clothing and footwear all saw modest increases, in the 2-3% neighborhood over last year.

Miscellaneous goods and services, like jewelry and other personal effects, legal fees and passport handling fees, and personal care items saw a 3.8% rise in the index, the survey’s biggest gainer.

At the supermarket, things stayed fairly even with last year, but prices on certain individual items were either way way up, or way way down.

Eggs, milk, and cheese were down almost 9%.

Oils and fats, down close to 2%.

But healthy eating certainly doesn’t come cheap. Love them or hate them, fresh veggies saw a 7.5% jump over last year.

And perhaps the most disturbing trend of them all, at least for those who rely on a little caffeine buzz to get through the workday: coffee, tea, and cocoa were up by 5.8% over last year.

In recreation and culture, prices on TV’s, radios, and computers saw a nearly 16% decline, but these were offset by price hikes in recreational and cultural services, and major recreational durables.