Overall consumer prices rose by 3.9 percent in May compared to the same month a year earlier, the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) reported on Thursday.
The increase was slightly smaller than the corresponding increase (4 percent) in April 2013. Netting out the effects of all government’s one-off relief measures, the year-on-year rate of increase in the Composite CPI in May 2013 was 3.8 percent, also slightly smaller than that in April (3.9 percent), mainly due to the smaller increases in the prices of fresh vegetables.
The C&SD said among the various CPI components, year-on-year increases in prices were recorded in May 2013 for housing (6.1 percent); electricity, gas and water (5.9 percent); meals bought away from home (4.3 percent); food (excluding meals bought away from home (3.6 percent); miscellaneous services (3.1 percent); miscellaneous goods (2.5 percent); transport (2.3 percent); alcoholic drinks and tobacco (1.6 percent); and clothing and footwear (0.7 percent).
On the other hand, year-on-year decrease in prices were recorded in May 2013 for durable goods (-4.8 percent).
A government spokesman said that underlying consumer price inflation eased modestly in May on a year-on-year comparison, thanks mainly to the slower pace of increase in prices of fresh vegetables.