Consumer Price Index: Inflation Increases 0.4%
Consumers paid 1.8 per cent more in December 2015 than they did a year ago for the basket of goods and services included in the Consumer Price Index [CPI]. The level of inflation rose 0.4 percentage points from the 1.4 per cent measured in November 2015.
The report said, “Between November 2015 and December 2015, the average cost of goods and services in the CPI was unchanged. The all-items index remained at 100.5 in December. This means that the basket of goods and services that cost $100.00 in April 2015 now costs $100.50.
“The Health & Personal Care sector was the largest contributor to the year-over-year increase, rising 7.0 per cent. The major driver in this sector was the cost of insurance premiums and prescribed medicines.
“The Household Goods, Services & Supplies and Food sectors also had a large impact in the year-overyear increase. Price shifts in these sectors increased 2.9 and 2.2 per cent, respectively.”
The full December 2015 Consumer Price Index follows below [PDF here]:
