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Meals, restaurants, transport charges drive up inflation
Inflationary pressures continue to pose challenges due the depreciation of the shilling. Photo / File
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This was mainly driven by meals and restaurant prices which increased by 8.1 percent in May compared to 6.3 percent registered in April 2024
The consumer price index for the country for May 2024 increased to 3.6 percent compared to 3.2 percent registered in April 2024.
This was mainly driven by meals and restaurant prices which increased by 8.1 percent in May compared to 6.3 percent registered in April 2024.
Also, passenger transport by road inflation increased to 4.4 percent in May compared to 2.2 percent registered in April, and passenger transport by air increased to 11.7 percent in May compared to 2.8 percent recorded in April 2024.
However other goods inflation registered a 1.8 percent decrease in May compared to the 2 percent recorded in April 2024 mainly driven by refined oil prices which registered minus 6.6 percent in May compared to minus 8.6 percent in April 2024.
Releasing the findings, Uganda Bureau of Statistics principal statistician Mr Edgar Niyimpa said secondhand vehicle prices registered minus 3.6 percent in May compared to minus 4.8 percent in April the same year.
“Food crops and related items inflation registered a minus 1.4 percent in May compared to 2.4 percent in April mainly due to increased prices of tomatoes by 19.5 percent in May compared to a minus 3.4 percent registered in April 2024,” he said.
According to him, sweet potato prices registered minus 12.3 percent in May compared to minus 19.9 percent recorded in April and fresh leaf vegetable prices increased by 13.5 percent in May as opposed to 1.6 percent registered in April the same year.
Mr Niyimpa noted that energy fuel and utilities inflation increased to 9.5 percent in May compared to 7.9 percent recorded in April mainly due to an increase in solid fuel inflation to 18.8 percent in May compared to 14.3 percent in April 2024.
Specifically, he added, charcoal prices increased by 21.9 percent in May compared to 18.8 percent in April and firewood prices increased by 13.8 percent in May compared to 6.9 percent in April.
Liquid energy fuel inflation increased by 4.8 percent in May compared to 3.9 percent in April specifically petrol prices increased by 8.1 percent compared to 6.9 percent in April and diesel prices increased by 1.1 percent in May compared to 0.1 percent registered in April 2024.
Monthly construction sector inflation in the construction sector increased by 0.1 percent in April 2024 compared to a 0.2 percent increase registered in March this year.
This was mainly due to an increase of 0.1 percent in the construction sector inflation of inputs into the construction of buildings in April compared to a 0.6 percent increase registered in March the same year.
This information was revealed by Ms Irene Musitwa Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS) senior statistician while releasing construction sector inflation findings for April 2024
“Specifically, construction sector inflation inputs into the construction of non-residential buildings inflation increased by 0.2 percent in April compared to the 0.7 percent increase registered in March 2024,” she said.
In addition, she said, construction sector inflation of inputs for the construction of residential buildings increased by 0.1 percent in April compared to 0.5 percent recorded in March 2024.
According to her, in April, the products whose prices increased were cement which increased by 1.7 percent compared to 0.0 in March 2024.
Others are nails, bolts, and screws of iron, steel, copper, or aluminum which increased by 3.0 percent in April compared to 1.8 percent registered in March 2024.
Also, concrete bricks, blocks, and slab prices increased by 0.8 percent in April compared to a 0.2 percent rise registered in March 2024.
Ms Musitwa however noted that clay bricks and tiles prices decreased by 0.1 percent in April 2024 compared to 0.0 percent registered in March and aggregate, hardcore, crushed, or broken stones prices decreased by 0.5 percent in April 2024 compared to 0.9 percent decrease recorded in March 2024.
The inflation of inputs for electrical, plumbing, and other construction installation activities was registered at 0.2 percent in April compared to 2.6 percent in March the same year.
