Fifteen months after the beginning of the health and economic crisis, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua are the economies in the region with the highest inflation rates, a behavior that was influenced by increases in fuel and transportation costs.
In the second quarter of 2020, a period in which the countries of the region were going through a severe economic crisis caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, inflation levels were low and in some economies negative variations were reported.
During the second month of the year, the CPI registered a 3.7% year-on-year variation, which is less than the 4.1% reported in January 2020.
The variation in the Consumer Price Index was -0.13% in February compared to January 2020, placing accumulated inflation in the January-February period at 0.20%.
In the second month of the year the CPI registered a 1.79% year-on-year variation, an inflationary rhythm that exceeds the 1.58% reported in January.
Of the 315 goods and services that make up the consumption basket, 50% increased in price, 41% decreased in price and 9% presented no variation, informed the National Institute of Statistics and Census.
At the beginning of 2020 in Panama, a positive variation in the Consumer Price Index was reported, a behavior that was determined partly by the prices of Transportation and Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco.
From the report of the General Comptroller of the Republic:
Food and non-alcoholic beverages, Transport, and Recreation and culture, were the sectors that had the greatest incidence in January for the CPI to report a 4.1% year-on-year variation.
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) reported that the overall consumer price index (CPI) experienced a 0.33% change in January 2020 compared to December 2019, while the underlying price index or monetary conditions index experienced a 0.38% change in the first month of the year.
After the inflationary rhythm went from 3.8% to 4.1% between November and December 2019, during January 2020 the year-on-year CPI was 4.3%.
In the first month of 2020, the monthly variation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 0.24% (0.03% in January 2019), an increase driven by the rise in the price of services related to housing, some food and recreational and cultural items and services. With this result, year-on-year inflation stood at 4.30% (3.95% twelve months earlier), reported the Central Bank of Honduras.
During January, the Consumer Price Index registered a 1.58% year-on-year variation, a rise that was influenced by the increase in the prices of Rent and housing services, and Education.
Out of the 315 goods and services that make up the consumer basket, 48% increased in price, 44% decreased in price and 8% showed no variation, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Census.
At the end of 2019, Panama reported a negative variation in the Consumer Price Index, a behavior that was determined partly by the prices of air passenger transport.
From the report of the General Comptroller of the Republic:
In November 2019, the Consumer Price Index in El Salvador reported a 0.12% monthly variation, explained in part by price increases in the alcoholic beverages and electricity, gas and other fuels divisions.
From the report of the General Directorate of Statistics and Census:
Food, beverages and tobacco were the products that boosted the 3.66% inflation rate reported at the end of last year.
The consumer price index (CPI) registered a 0.20% variation in December 2019 compared to November of the same year, reported the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD).
The variation in the price of some foods of agricultural origin, transport and health, determined the 4.08% year-on-year increase in the CPI reported in December last year.
In December 2019, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showed a 0.42% variation (0.19% in December 2018), reflecting the price increase in some foods of agricultural origin, transport and health.
After the Consumer Price Index reported a 2.03% year-on-year variation at the end of 2018, in December 2019 the inflationary rhythm dropped to 1.52%.
The groups with greater contribution to the variation of the CPI in December 2019 were: Food and non-alcoholic beverages and Transportation, reported the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INEC).
During November, the CPI registered a 2.9% variation with respect to the same month of 2018, an inflationary rhythm higher than the 4.2% rate reported in October.
The most important inflation levels in November 2019 are as follows: 0.44% monthly inflation, 2.92% inflation and 2.79% accumulated inflation, according to the National Statistics Institute (INE).
During November, the CPI in Honduras registered a 3.8% variation with respect to the same month in 2018, an inflationary rhythm lower than the 4.1% rate reported in October.
The monthly variation of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) was 0.30% in November 2019, lower than that recorded in the same month of 2018 and 2017 (0.53% and 0.49%, in order), the increase in the index reflects the rise in prices in some food products and fuels, reported the Central Bank of Honduras (BCH).
In September, the Consumer Price Index in El Salvador reported a monthly variation of -0.15%, partly explained by price declines in the Clothing and Footwear and Transport divisions.
From the General Directorate of Statistics and Censuses report:
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