The Consumer Price Index (CPI), which determines the level of inflation in Haiti, accuses for the month of May 2012 a monthly growth rate of 0.5%, a total of 194.3 against 193.4 in April (where the rate was 0.7%) [base 100 - August 2004).

According to data published by the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Information (IHSI) inflation continues to slow down [annual rate] from 5.4% in April to 5.2% in May.

Compared to the same period last year, average inflation from October 2011 to May 2012 is 7.4%, stresses the IHSI, which states that for the month of May, the sectors that contributed most to the increase of the CPI are :

- Food, Beverages and Tobacco (0.3%);

- Clothing, Textiles and Footwear (0.8%);

- Rent Housing, Energy and Water (0.4%);

- Development, Housing Equipment and Maintenance (1.0%);

- Health (0.4%);

- Transport (0.7%).

Factors that contributed to inflation :

The rise in the index of "Food, Beverages and Tobacco" is due to higher prices for products such as rice (0.7%), millet (0.9%), grain maize (1%), meat beef (1.1%), pork (1.4%), ham (4.4%), fresh fish (1.2%), dried fish (3.4% on average) and potato (0.4%).

The evolution upward, of the index of "Clothing, Textiles and Shoes" is due to price changes of the tissue (1.5%) of the shirt (1.1%), of making clothing (1.0%), shoes and tennis (1.0%) and sandals (1.5%).

The increase in the index "Rent Housing, Energy and Water", comes exclusively from housing rents and charcoal, whose prices rose 0.6% respectively.

The increase in the index "Development, Housing Equipment and Maintenance", is mainly due to the increase in living room furniture (3.5%), dining (3.8%) of the bed (5.3%), mattress (3.4%); stove craft (0.7%) and wages of domestic workers (1.6%).

Drugs and prescription glasses increased by 1.1% and 0.6%, explaining the increase of the index "Health."

Finally, the volution upward of the index "Transport" is caused by motor vehicles (6.6%), bicycle (2.7%) and maintenance of private vehicle (1.1%).

Inflation Rate by Region :

Geographically, the region West, which includes the departments of South-East and West (excluding the metropolitan area of ​​Port-au-Prince), was the most affected by the phenomenon of inflation in May, with an estimated rate of 0.9%.

The transversal region, which includes the departments of Centre and the Artibonite, comes second with an inflation rate of 0.6%.

The region North, covering the departments of Nord, Northeast and Northwest, had a rate of 0.4%.

The region South, hich includes the departments of the South, of Grand Anse and Nippes, shows a rate of 0.3%.

The Metropolitan area, including the cities of Port-au-Prince, Delmas, Petion-Ville, Carrefour and Croix-des-Bouquets, has a rate of 0.2%.

HL/ HaitiLibre