Cost of meat up by 11.2% this year in Abu Dhabi

The average year-on-year rise in consumer prices in the emirate of Abu Dhabi for the first five months of 2012 was 1.2 per cent, according to a new report.

The Statistics Center of Abu Dhabi, Scad's monthly report on the consumer price index (CPI) and the inflation rate in Abu Dhabi for June 2012 showed that foods and non-alcoholic beverages accounted for 67.9 per cent of the rise in the index, due to increases in the prices of most of the subgroups included in this group.

The highest price increases were in the 'Meat' subgroup which advanced by 11.2 per cent, followed by 'Fish and seafood' (up 13.5 per cent), Coffee, tea and cocoa (9.6 per cent), Oils and fats (6.7 per cent) and Bread and cereals (3 per cent), Scad's report showed.

The report analyzes the CPI calculations for the periods under review, with the year 2007 fixed as the base year.

It also details CPI results by welfare levels and types of households.

The main group that slowed down the rise in consumer prices during the first five months of 2012 compared with the same period of 2011 was "Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" which contributed a negative 30.4 per cent of the overall change in the CPI index, with the average prices of the group falling by 1 per cent during the said period.

According to Scad's report, average consumer prices advanced 1.7 per cent in May 2012 compared with May 2011.

The largest individual increase was recorded in the "Restaurants and hotels" group which rose by 38.9 per cent, followed by "Alcoholic beverages and tobacco" (up 19.1 per cent) and "Food and non-alcoholic beverages" (up 4.9 per cent).

On the other hand, May prices for the "Housing, water, electricity, gas and other fuels" group retreated 1.3 per cent y-o-y.

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